The red panda is a mammal that lives mainly in the mountains of Nepal, Northern Myanmar and in Central China. They are also spotted in the North Eastern Indian states like Assam and Sikkim. Like many animals, red pandas are also endangered due to many reasons.
Slightly larger than a domestic cat in size, red pandas have markings of both pandas and raccoons. They are known to be very solitary, but are skillful and stay most of the time on trees.
The main reason for the decline in the red panda population is the loss of nesting trees and bamboo. The latter is their main diet, but red pandas also eat a variety of other foods like fruits, flowers, seeds etc.
Apart from the destruction of their habitat, these animals are also trapped and killed in large numbers so that their fur can be used to make hats.
With their population less than 10,000, red pandas have been listed as ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Picture credit: google
