RED PANDAZZZZZ...

 

Is that....a raccoon…..? A panda…..? A cat…..?Well… no ITS THE RED PANDA !!!! The red panda is a precious furry creature, with a particularly fiesty spirit. Some people admire the red panda for its charming, kitten like appearance, cinnamon red colored furcoat, fluffy and soft ringed tail.

The colored panda is associated with Its counterpart , the giant panda and their faces have similar features to the neighborhood raccoon. The scientific family for the colored panda is Ailurus Fulgens. The red panda is the only living member of this genus and the family classification known as ailuridae. It has previously been linked to the raccoon and bear families but the results of phylogenetic analysis provide strong support for its taxonomic classification in its own family. But interestingly genetic research shows that there are in fact two species of red pandas namely the Chinese red pandas and the Himalayan red, which diverge genetically. 

The red panda is endemic to the forests of Himalayas and a few other ranges which lie between the foothills of western Nepal to China in the east end. Their presence was confirmed in spring 2007 when four red pandas were spotted in the west most distribution in the Rara National Park. Even in 2018, red pandas were sighted at elevations in Nepals Lamjung district. The red panda population in Sichuan province is larger and more stable than the Yunnan population, suggesting an expansion from Sichuan into Yunnan in Holocene.

Red pandas are very territorial and you will only spot them flirting during the mating season. It is both a nocturnal and crepuscular creature. They search for food running along the ground or through the trees. They usually eat bamboos and may eat small mammals , eggs, flowers etc.

As is the sad nature of this world where us "superior beings" indulge in our own transgressions, we forget that the planet, the larger context suffers consequences for it. Red pandas have been listed as endangered on the IUCN red list since 2008. The primary threat to red pandas are killing them for their fur, competition with domestic livestock resulting in habitat degradation and fragmentation. They also face the risk of inbreeding due to their small population. These majestic species need to be conserved under all circumstances. A lot of countries like India and China are making desperate efforts to conserve the species. It is high time that we start treating such wonders of the world as a means to an end, and give them the due regard for what they are- a symbol of co-existence, respecting which we can achieve true peace even among ourselves.