RED PANDA

Red Pandas are found in the temperate forests of the Himalayas and some high mountain areas of China and Myanmar (Burma). Anatomical features indicate Red Pandas are most closely related to the racoon and similar to Giant Pandas and bears but are now in a 'family' of their own. The Red Panda is most active in the early morning and late afternoon spending most of the day resting in trees conserving their energy as their bamboo diet has a low energy content. Like Giant Pandas, Red Pandas have an extra 'thumb' which is simply an enlarged bone. Claws are sharp and partly retractable. A Red Panda can consume up to 45 percent of its own body weight eating approximately 200,000 bamboo leaves daily. Red Pandas are normally solitary creatures but form pairs in the breeding season. After three months gestation up to three young are born into a nest made of twigs and grass. Newborn cubs are covered in thick grey fur and their eyes and ears are closed. The cubs will emerge from the nest at about three months of age but stay with their mother until the next breeding season starts. In captivity Red Pandas can live up to 14 years but it is not known how long they live in the wild. They reach sexual maturity at around a year old.

The Chinese name for Red Panda is hunho or firefox, due to their colour and similar size to a fox. The Red Panda was first discovered in 1821, 48 years before the Giant Pandas were found in 1869. The major threats confronting Red Pandas are loss and fragmentation of habitat due to deforestation; poaching for the pet and fur trades; and competition from domestic livestock. The fur of Red Pandas is used to make hats and clothing by local people in China. The fur hat with its long, luxurious tail at the back looks beautiful and warm. In Yunnan Province, this type of hat is still desired by newlyweds, because it was regarded as a talisman for a happy marriage in the past. The Red Panda is nearly extinct in the western part of its range due to human interference in its natural habitat.

The 'Exotica Collection' wildlife design portrays the beauty of the endearing shy Red Panda.

HELP Free the Bears Fund with Mary Hutton

Exotica Collection