THE MYSTERIOUS MAMMAL OF THE HIMALAYAS: THE RED PANDA

Red pandas are living fossils, the only known living relatives hailing from the Ailuridae family. These highly elusive and rarely-seen mammals are endemic to the temperate bamboo forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar and China between the altitudinal range of 2000-4800m. The population of red panda across its global range is estimated to be less than 10,000 mature individuals. In the past, red pandas were thought to be closely related to giant pandas and raccoons, but molecular systematic DNA studies placed them into their own monotypic family.

Red pandas are known by various names in their innate places, including “Fire fox”, “Lesser panda”, “Shining cat”, and “Red cat-bear”. It is believed that the Firefox web browser may have derived its name from a nickname of the red panda. This arboreal species primarily feeds on leaves and shoots of bamboo, however, in captivity they are observed to eat eggs, birds, small rodents and insects, and have shown an interest in sweetened food.

The non-prehensile tail—almost as long the body—is marked with 12 alternating red and buff (yellowish-beige) rings. It ensures body balance while climbing trees, and is carried straight and horizontally while on the ground. Red pandas wrap their tail around their bodies during the night to prevent heat loss. The body coloration of the species provides camouflage in the forest amongst the trees where branches are usually sheathed with reddish-brown moss and lichens.

Red pandas are shy and solitary animals and normally live by themselves in large territories, except during mating time. They are nocturnal and crepuscular, mostly active during dusk and dawn. They spend most of their day foraging and sleeping on tree branches or in hollows. They mark their territory with urine and a weak-musk smelling secretion from their anal gland.

The average lifespan of a red panda is between 8 to 10 years in the wild but they can live up to 14 years in captivity. They are quite adaptable to living in captivity and are common in zoos worldwide. Red pandas are capable of reproduction at the age of 18 months and up to 12 years in captivity. The newly born cubs are blind and deaf and begin to open their eyes around 18 days later. At the age of about 90 days, cubs achieve full adult fur and coloring and start to venture out of the nest.

Red pandas are poached for their distinctive pelts. In the past, red panda fur hats were commonly worn by the people of Bhutan, in the Singalila region of the Indian-Nepalese border, and in China they formed part of the traditional uniform of the Naxi or Muli soldiers of Szechuan.

These species are now listed as Endangered. Populations of red panda continue to decline for a variety of reasons. Major threats to red panda are higher mortality rates of the cubs, habitat loss and fragmentation, habitat degradation and destruction, habitat overlapping, high killing rate by guard and feral dogs, forest fires, lack of awareness regarding conservation and the ecological role of the red panda, and weak law enactments.

Conservation efforts to reduce poaching and control illegal trade would assist the conservation of this charming species in its natural habitats.

Manoj Bhatta is a PhD candidate at CDU studying the conservation governance of Red Panda habitats in Nepal.