The Ailurus fulgens, better known as the red panda, is a mammal belonging to the order Carnivora and family ailuridae. They have a lifespan of about 8 years in the wild and are about the size of a domestic cat with a thick russet fur, excluding their approximately 16-inch tail The size of their head and body can range from 20 to 26 inches and their tail from 12 to 20 inches.
The belly and limbs are black and there are white markings on the side of the head above its small eyes. Red pandas are skillfully acrobatic and predominantly stay in trees. They are shy and a little solitary except when mating and forage during the night or at dawn and dusk preferring to eat bamboo gut or fruits, acorns, eggs and roots.
As of now, they are considered endangered with their population decreasing with less than 10,000 mature individuals. The main reasons for their population decline is the loss of their habitat, fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depressions which essentially means reduced biological fitness in a given population as a result of inbreeding. Almost 50% of their habitat is in the eastern Himalayas, mainly temperate forests, where they use their long bushy tails for balance and cover during winters for warmth.
The red panda was legally hunted in Southwest China for its fur, especially its highly valued bushy tail which is used to produce hats considered as good luck charms used by Chinese newlyweds. It is now protected in all countries in which it lives, and hunting is illegal, but they are still illegally poached.
To help their conservation we can spread awareness about these furry little guys and can donate for their cause. The World Wildlife Fund is currently working with the government of Sikkim and the Department of Forestry in India to help with the conservation of red pandas. Donations for this cause can be made at https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/red-pandas-climate-change-and-the-fight-to-save-forests
Written by Zorawar Desai and Art by Aanya Chowbey
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