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The red panda is a mammal species native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. They live in tall bamboo forests and are one of the most endangered mammal species in the world.

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Red pandas take most of their energy from bamboo, but if that becomes limited, they would snack on roots, grass, insects, fruits, and occasionally if there is no food, will hunt and eat birds and small mammals.

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Why Are the Red Pandas becoming extinct?

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Why Are the Red Pandas becoming extinct?

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The Red Pandas were once a really popular animal, but that has been slowly going down due to humans. We humans have caused the Red Panda to go extinct in many ways. Some of those ways include deforestation, poaching, accidental trapping, and illegal pet trading.

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Due to the downfall of the red panda population, the red panda has been legally protected in many parts of Asia including India, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar. Their primary threats are habitat loss, degradation, human interference, and poaching.

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The reason I chose this current event is because when I was a kid, I loved to go to the zoo, and I´m pretty sure every kid liked going to the zoo, but I wanted to go every day. One day, my parents bought plane tickets to Asia because I have some family that lives there. While I was there, my family decided to take me to the zoo in Asia. There were animals I was familiar with and animals I have never seen in my life. But there was one animal that I loved to see, and that animal was the red panda. I was fascinated by everything about it. And that is why I chose this event, it´s because the red panda was everything to me as a kid. And now seeing that the population is less than 10,000, I am devastated.

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The red panda is important in many different ways, one of the things is that if the red panda becomes extinct, it would be that the ecosystem that the red pandas live in would become less biodiverse causing problems for animals in this ecosystem. Another important factor about the red panda is the food chain. Many predators depend on the red panda for food, so if the red panda became extinct, those animals would slowly die down in population and look for a new food source. Those are just two of the many reasons the red panda needs to be specially protected.

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We can save the red panda in many different ways. Some of those ways include protecting habitats by balancing development and improving habitat management. Reduce habitat degradation by planting bamboo, requiring tourist permits, restricting entry during the breeding season, reducing livestock that trampled undergrowth, and improving fire protection. Those are just some of the MANY ways we can save the red panda.

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Popular and distinctive, known for their kitten-like faces and ruddy coats, red pandas are endangered with their numbers decreasing. Not closely related to iconic giant pandas, red pandas are found only in isolated mountainous areas in the high forests of Asia. Around half of the population is found in the Eastern Himalayas alone.

Because their populations are fragmented, it's difficult to know for sure how many red pandas there are, but the WWF estimates there are fewer than 10,000 left in the wild. According to the IUCN Red List, they are classified as endangered, with the population continuing to decrease, as of the latest assessment in 2015. It's believed that the population has shrunk by 40% over the past twenty years.

Red pandas are members of the family Ailuridae. French zoologist Frédéric Cuvier described the western red panda in 1825, 48 years before the giant panda was classified. Saying it was the most beautiful animal he had ever seen, he named it Ailurus, meaning " fire-colored cat."

Red pandas only live in small, mountain territories in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. In a 2020 comprehensive genetic study, researchers found that Chinese red pandas and Himalayan red pandas were two distinct species. They said the Himalayan red panda needs more urgent protection because of its lower genetic diversity and smaller population size.

Habitat loss is the main threat to the red panda's survival. Human growth in the area, combined with climate change has led to the fragmentation and loss of livable land. In addition, the red panda has faced dangers from hunting, poaching, and general human interference.

Habitat Loss and Deforestation

Red pandas live in high-altitude, temperate forests where they prefer to be near water and have access to bamboo understories. They are mostly active at dusk and dawn, and they sleep during most of the day. Their ruddy fur helps them blend into the canopy of fir trees where branches are covered with reddish-brown clumps of moss and white lichens. They rely on the trees for shelter, to escape from predators, and to sunbathe in the winter.

About 98% of a red panda's diet is bamboo. But unlike giant pandas that eat almost all parts of the plant, red pandas are picky and only dine on the nutrient-rich tips of the leaves and the tasty, tender shoots. They need a lot of it to survive-around 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) each daily. Sometimes, if they have no other option, they will eat fruit, roots, acorns, grasses, insects, and bird eggs, as well as kill small animals.

Finding enough bamboo is difficult as the red panda's habitat keeps shrinking. When people move into the red panda's area, they clear forests for housing and commercial development, for farming and mining. They build roads and let livestock graze in forests where they compete with red pandas for bamboo. Often habitat is degraded because of commercial logging.

Natural disasters such as landslides, floods, cyclones, and heavy snow and rainfall all have destroyed habitat. Forest fires, invasive plant species, and issues with bamboo flowering and the death of the plant have had effects on the red panda's habitat, says the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Species of bamboo are impacted by forest fires and other environmental changes. As people move into the area, they often collect bamboo, leaving less for red pandas to eat. As habitat diminishes and there is reduced canopy cover overhead, seedlings don't survive and bamboo doesn't thrive.

Physical Threats

Red pandas also face threats from hunting and poaching. The IUCN reports that illegal poaching and smuggling appears to be increasing, as hunters take the animals for their distinctive pelt and meat. The WWF says red panda fur hats have been found for sale in Bhutan.

Some hunters who work in the wildlife trade capture red pandas and sell them as illegal pets. Sometimes red pandas are caught in traps that were intended to catch other animals, such as wild pigs and deer.

When people bring livestock into the red panda's habitat, they protect them with dogs. The dogs attack pandas, and if they are not vaccinated, the dogs can carry canine distemper, which is fatal to the red panda. Spillover of canine distemper is already well-documented in other species, such as the Indian fox and the Amur tiger.

What We Can Do

Although the red panda is endangered, steps are being made to save the species and its habitat. According to the IUCN, China has 46 protected areas, covering about 65% of the species' habitat in the country. There are at least 19 protected areas in India, five in Bhutan, and three in Myanmar.

The Red Panda Network is a nonprofit organization that protects red pandas and their habitat. They work with local community groups to establish wildlife corridors, train "forest guardians" to raise awareness about red pandas, and work with villagers to establish protected areas.

The group also monitors panda populations and researches how they are changing over time. You can get involved by spreading awareness, donating and fundraising, taking part in ecotourism, and working against the red panda trade.

The WWF is also working to protect red pandas and their habitats. Because more than a third of potential habitat is in Nepal, the group works with yak herders and other groups there to lower their impact on the red panda's habitat. They have encouraged herders to sell briquettes made of yak dung. They can be used for fuel instead of cutting down red panda habitat and are an alternative source of income.

The WWF also monitors red pandas and their habitat across India, Nepal, and Bhutan to help understand the species. You can help by pledging to protect the planet or by making a donation to virtually adopt a red panda.

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Why Red Pandas Are Endangered and What We Can Do

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Red pandas are endangered with their numbers decreasing. The WWF estimates there are fewer than 10,000 left in the wild.

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With an estimated population of less than 10,000 left in the world and continued decline due to habitat loss as per World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Red Pandas are an endangered species. Although it shares its name with the black and white giant panda, the red panda is a completely different animal species that grows to the size of a house cat.

Nevertheless, unlike house cats, they have a big, bushy tail that they use as wraparound blankets in their chilly mountain habitats. They have black limbs and belly. They also have white markings above their small eyes and on the side of the head. Despite their small size, the red pandas are very skillful and acrobatic animals.

Why are the Red Pandas Endangered?

Their interesting reddish fur, expressive faces, and striped tails make red pandas some of the most popular animals in Asia. Their popularity has seen them get featured in cartoons as mascots and toys. In spite of their popularity, red pandas are endangered for several reasons that include:

Deforestation

Like all endangered wild animals, the loss of habitat is one of the reasons why the red pandas' population is declining. Over the last decades, the Himalayan forests have been decreasing at an alarming rate. The forests have seen increased logging operations while farmers are also converting some sections of the forest into farmlands.

It is worth noting that even if the forests are partially cut down, they can lead to a massive population decline of red pandas. Altering the nature of forests can also lead to the separation of different groups of red pandas resulting in inbreeding. Inbreeding leads to less genetic diversity making animals unable to survive in their natural environments.

Poaching is another major reason the numbers of red pandas are quickly declining in forests. Although efforts have been put in place to end poaching, the act is still rampant as natives in the area believe in some traditional myths about the red pandas that put them in high demand.

In China, for example, people believe that a red panda's fur during a wedding is a sign of a happy marriage. Other people believe some parts of the animal have medicinal properties. Although medicines made with red panda are illegal to buy and sell, they still exist in the black market. The bright, reddish fur and striped tails also make red pandas a prime target for poachers looking to sell their pelts for profit.

Accidental Trapping

Activities of humans living close to the natural habitats of red pandas also endanger the survival of the animals. Red pandas can be accidentally trapped in traps meant to trap other animals, and once trapped, they are never released back into the forest. Instead, they are sold into the black market.

Illegal Pet Trade

Red pandas are adorable animals. They are also cute and personable. As such, the appealing nature of red pandas makes some people want to keep them as pets. Unfortunately, pandas are not domesticated and thus, they are unable to deal with the stress of captivity.

The stress makes red pandas fearful and aggressive making it highly challenging to domesticate them. They also require a highly specialized diet, which is difficult to offer at home.

Difficulties Adapting

Over the years, some animals have found ways to adapt to their changing environment. The ability to move with times has seen some animals like raccoons, which were primarily forest animals, inhabit cities and towns and start eating foods discarded by people. The ability to adapt has seen these animals thrive despite their native homes declining.

Red pandas, however, have failed to adapt to the changing environment. Their digestive system cannot properly digest anything else other than the bamboo shoots and leaves, which means they can only thrive in environments they were originally adapted to live.

Difficulties Reproducing

All Pandas give birth to one to three cubs at a time, with only one cub surviving to adulthood. Unfortunately for red pandas, their diet of bamboo has low nutrients, which makes it impossible to support two or more cubs at a time.

Furthermore, red pandas are highly selective when choosing their mate. Their selective nature does not guarantee putting two pairs together in captivity will mate, which makes it difficult for breeding programs.

Why are the Red Pandas Important?

Although there is no denying that red pandas are playful, fascinating animals, there are other reasons why the endangered animal should be protected. Some of the reasons why red pandas are important and need care include:

1. Red pandas are the only animal representative of its family, the Ailuridae. It is important as it is part of the world's natural heritage and contributes to the planet's diversity. In other words, they are irreplaceable.

2. The Red pandas are part of the ecosystem within the Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Forest. Conservation biologists use red pandas presence as an indicator of the overall health of the ecoregion. As the umbrella species, protecting their habitats also protects other threatened animals like Himalayan black bears, clouded leopards, and many bird species.

3. They help balance the ecosystem. Like all wild animals, red pandas have their own predators. Their extinction would affect the survival of the predators that rely on them for their survival. Furthermore, Red pandas keep bamboos in control by feeding on them. If they get extinct, the bamboo plants can grow out of control, affecting the growth of other plants in the forest.

Where Do the Red Pandas Live, and What Do They Eat?

Red pandas are native to the Himalayas in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Burma, Laos, and South China. A mature red panda is slightly larger than a cat but it is long at about 31 to 47 inches (79 - 120 centimeters). The tail takes almost half of its length at about 12 to 24 inches (30 - 60 centimeters). A mature male red panda weighs about10 to 14 pounds (4.5 - 6.2 kilograms) while a female weighs about 6 to 10 pounds (3 - 4.5 kilograms).

They have a roundish head with medium-sized upright ears. The pandas have black legs that are short with thick fur on the soles of the paws. They also have sharp semi-retractile claws that are strong and curved inward to help red pandas grasp on narrow tree branches, fruits, and leaves. They also have a false thumb, which is an extension of the wrist bone.

Red pandas live predominantly in trees. They are skillful and acrobatic, which helps them to live and forage in trees, although they also feed on the ground. They rarely live in groups or pairs of families. On most occasions, they live alone in their individual territory. They are extremely quiet and only communicate by twittering and whistling sounds.

They are also highly active at dusk and dawn. They spend their day time resting in tree hollows and branches. They thrive in regions with temperatures between 17 and 25 degrees Celsius. However, they cannot survive in areas with temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius. Red pandas quench their thirst by dipping their paws into water and licking them.

Red pandas are mostly herbivorous mammals with a specialized bamboo-based diet. Although bamboo accounts for two-thirds of the red pandas' diet, they also eat fruits, berries, lichen, grasses, acorns, mushrooms, and roots. They are also known to occasionally supplement their diet with fish, birds, eggs, insects, and small rodents. Due to their inability to digest cellulose, the red pandas have to eat large amounts of high-quality leaves and shoots to maximize nutrient intake.

The mating season for red pandas runs from the end of December to the middle of February. Their gestation period lasts between 112 to 158 days, and the females give birth to one to four cubs weighing between 3.5 to 4.6 ounces (110 to 130 grams).

The young ones remain at the nest for 12 weeks after birth. They also stay with their mother until the next cubs are born. Red pandas have a lifespan of between 8 to 10 years with a maximum of 15 years. They become sexually mature when they are about 18 months.

Interesting Facts About the Red Pandas

1. Red pandas are not actually pandas. Despite sharing the name, red pandas are not related to the pandas. Genetically, they are more like raccoons and skunks than the giant pandas. The confusion of where they belong made biologists place them in their own family. They belong to their own family, known as the Ailuridae.

2. Red pandas are vegetarian carnivore animals. Despite being members of the carnivore order like the cats, dogs, bears, the red pandas are mostly herbivorous. Their diet is primarily bamboo leaves and shoots. They are classified as carnivores because they descended from the same lineage as other carnivores.

3. They love artificial sugar. A study conducted in 2009 by the Journal of Heredity with plain water, artificially sweetened water and naturally sweetened water found that red pandas like the artificially sweetened water. Researchers discovered that they like three artificial sugars that include sucralose, aspartame, and neotame, which makes them the only non-primate species with an ability to taste aspartame.

4. Red pandas tweet: The sound red pandas make called twittering. The sound is used to indicate to others it is in its reproductive season.

5. Females stop bleeding after the age of 12. Like humans, the female pandas stop bleeding as they age. At 12 years, the female red pandas' cab no longer reproduce. Equally like humans, the male red pandas continue to be reproductively capable until death.

6. Red pandas are capable of lowering and raising their metabolic rate as they like. This adaptation allows them to save energy. In addition to lowering and raising metabolic rate, red pandas also exhibit other temperature-regulating behaviors like stretching out and panting to lower their body temperature when it is hot and curl into a tight ball to conserve energy when it is cold.

7. Red pandas have a false thumb. Because of red panda's diet (adaptation to eating bamboo), they have a false thumb, which is, in actual sense, an extended wrist bone.

8. Red pandas are not that big, only slightly bigger than the domesticated cat. Red pandas are slightly bigger than the domesticated cat, and this is what makes them unique compared to other types of Panda. The only difference from the domesticated cat is that they have a huge tail up to 18 inches their length. They use the tail to balance and keep themselves warm.

9. Red pandas are endangered. Red pandas have an estimated population of less than 10,000 left in the world and continued decline due to habitat loss.

10. They rarely live in groups. Red pandas rarely live in groups or pairs of families. On most occasions, they live alone in their individual territory. They are extremely quiet and only communicate by twittering and whistling sounds

11. Red panda influenced Mozilla's flagship name Firefox. Firefox actually means red panda.
References: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/7-things-you-didne28099t-know-about-red-pandas/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63578/12-furry-facts-about-red-pandas https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/red-panda

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Why are Red Pandas Endangered, Why are They Important and Interesting Facts About Red Pandas - Conserve Energy Future

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With an estimated population of less than 10,000 left in the world and continued decline due to habitat loss as per World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Red Pandas are an endangered species. Although it shares its name with the black and white giant panda, the red panda is a completely different animal species that grows to the size of a house cat.

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