Red Panda Bear

The Red Panda Bear is not actually a bear, although it has a common ancestor with modern bear species. The DNA analysis shows that the Red Panda is not related to the Ursidae family. It should be classified into its own family Ailuridae. The close relatives of the Red Panda are skunks, raccoons, and weasels, but not the Giant Panda. Red Pandas are about the size of a large cat. They measure up to 120 cm in body length including the tail. Their weight varies from 3 to 6 kg. The fur of the Red Panda is long, soft, and glossy. The upper parts are reddish; the lower parts are blackish. Red Pandas have a mask on their face and a long striped tail, which make them look like raccoons.

The Red Panda Bear shares the habitat with the Giant Panda and has similar adaptations and a similar diet. The preferred habitat of the Red Panda is high elevations in the Himalaya Mountain. These animals are found on the territory of China, Nepal, India, and Bhutan.

The feeding pattern of the Red Panda Bear is the same as it is of the Giant Panda. Both species cannot digest cellulose and have to consume large amounts of low-calorie bamboo to maintain their energy level. Red Pandas select only tender bamboo shoots and leaves. Over 5 kg of plant matter is consumed by these small animals daily. Unlike Giant Pandas, these creatures also eat a variety of vegetation, such as fruit, berries, mushrooms, acorns, grasses, lichen, and roots. Occasionally, they supplement their diet with eggs, insects, and small rodents. Captive Red Pandas eat meat and a variety of grasses.

The Red Panda is classified as endangered. The number of Red Pandas in the wild is unknown, because they live in remote elevated areas and avoid encounters with humans. The main threat to this species is habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by farming, grazing, and timber production. In some regions, these animals are still hunted for their fur used in religious ceremonies, but in the main part of their habitat, hunting Red Pandas is illegal. Though protected by law, the Red Panda Bear is poached and smuggled for illegal pet trade.