🐼11. 4 Panda Base SE: Red Panda Facts 1

©️MOWANGSHIQU, Shanghai Zoo

Hi, I’m a Red Panda(Ailurus Fulgens). I am one of the neighbors of giant pandas. Here’s some facts about me

Status: Endangered(2000, IUCN)

Wild population: around 5000

Distribution: Temperate forests in the Himalayan foothills from western Nepal through northern Burma and in the mountains of southwestern China (Sichuan, Yunnan, and Xizang provinces) at altitudes between 1800-4800 meters. The red pandas reset and shelter in trees and rock crevasses.

Diet: The diet consists mainly of bamboo, as well as grasses, roots, acorns, berries and lichen. It sometimes eats insects, eggs, young birds, and small rodents.

Sexual Maturity: about 18 months

Breeding season: Jan-March

Birthing Season: June-July

Litter Size: 1-4 cubs, usually 2

Lifespans: up to 17.5 years in captivity

I know I look similar to a racoon. But am I a raccoon or a relative of it?