RED PANDA

Story & Narrative

Red Pandas are medium sized bear like mammal with a thick rusty to deep chestnut colored coat. The muzzle, eye patches and the fronts of the large pointed ears are white along with broad white cheek patches. The tail is long, bushy and with ginger rings. Red pandas are classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with their wild population estimated to have dropped by 50% over the last three generations. Fewer than 10,000 individuals are left in the wild today.main reasons include: Habitat Loss: Deforestation from logging and agriculture shrinks their Himalayan forest homes. Dietary Risk: They depend on bamboo for 98% of their diet, making them highly vulnerable when forests vanish. Poaching & Traps: They face illegal hunting for their fur and are often caught in traps meant for other wildlife. DISTRIBUTION : Central Nepal to Arunachal Pradesh and this stretch includes Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayas. The distribution is further extended from Arunachal Pradesh to Myanmar and China. FOOD : 90% of Red Panda's diet consists of bamboo leaves and the rest consist of bamboo shoots, fruits and berries. Breeding : Mating season is between January to March. Gestation period is 100-150 days to deliver 1-4 cubs in a litter during May / June. Survives and breed well in captivity.