Adorable, fuzzy, and about the size of a house cat, red pandas are endemic to the Himalayas in Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma) and southern China. Almost 50% of the red panda’s habitat is in the temperate forest Eastern Himalayas with an altitudinal range preference of 2400-3900 m, where they enjoy their favorite food, Bamboo young leaves.

1. They have their own independent genetic family

Frédéric Cuvier, a French zoologist, first described the red panda in 1825, a few decades before the giant panda was cataloged. But despite sharing a name, because of their similitudes, like having a taste for bamboo, red pandas aren’t closely related to giant pandas. Initially described as members of the raccoon family (Procyonidae) due to their similar heads and tails, more recent discoveries have placed them in their own distinct scientific family known as Ailuridae, more closely related to skunks and weasels than to the giant panda bear.

2. There are 2 different red pandas species

It has been recently discovered that there are into 2 different species of red panda (Hu, Yibo, et al, 2020). With a comprehensive genetic study, researchers have differentiated between Chinese red pandas and Himalayan red pandas, being the latest the one in need of more urgent protection because of its lower genetic diversity and smaller population size.

3. They’re vegetarian carnivores

Wait! What? Yep, its true. That is because they have inherit the digestive anatomy of a carnivore that specializes in digesting protein and fats from their ancestors, but rarely eat anything more than bamboo and a few insects. Therefore, they are classed as vegetarian carnivores.

4. They are born covered in fur

Baby red pandas are about as cute as you’d imagine. Born completely covered in fur to protect themselves from their high altitude cold environments, they stay with their mothers until they are fully grown, which takes about a year.

5.They are escape artists

After just 3 weeks at the Smithsonian National Zoo, the red panda Rusty, made a break for it in June 2013. His master plan? The typical tree branch pushed down over electric fence by heavy rains-method. Happily he was found in a nearby neighborhood. His daring scape could have a worse ending. After a similar escape in Dresden, Germany, the authorities got another red panda down from a tree and the panda fell 30 feet to the ground, giving it a concussion. (Ultimately, the animal was OK.). These astute fellows have also escaped from zoos in London, Birmingham, and Rotterdam.

6.  One escape led to something called the red panda effect

Sadly, the star of the 1978 Rotterdam escape was found dead soon after the search for it began. But the incident resulted in a peculiar psychological observation. Even after the body of the red panda was found, more than hundred people report seeing it alive and well. They were clearly mistaken, as there is highly unlikely that there were several red pandas running wildly around Rotterdam, and they are distinctive enough for people to mixed them up for another animal. Researchers concluded that people expected to see a red panda, so they saw one, even though there wasn’t one there. This phenomena was named the Red Panda Effect.

7. There’s an internet browser named after them

Mozilla’s browser Firefox, means red panda (that’s a red panda in the logo). The original name for it was Firebird, but the name was already taken. Finally, they decided to go with Firefox, a nickname for red panda.

8. Their Fur Provides Camouflage

Though the bright color of a red panda’s coat might seem like a bold choice for a forest, helps them blend in with their surroundings because, in their home, trees are covered with reddish-brown moss and lichens. In the same way, their black fur on their belly and legs, helps them hide from predators like snow leopards against the dark foliage.

9. They spend most of time eating and sleeping

Red pandas are crepuscular, meaning, most active in the early morning and late afternoon. But because they are on a tight energy budget, due to the low nutrition content of their diet, they spend the most of the day sleeping and eating to conserve their energy. They can also become dormant in extremely cold temperatures, lowering their metabolism to keep their energy.

10. They stand up when being provoked or threatened

If you ever see a standing red panda you better keep your distant! Actually, this is a defense mechanism that makes then appear larger. They can defend themselves using their sharp claws or releasing a foul smell from their scent glands while making loud noises. Beware the rage of a red panda!

11. Their tail plays an important role

The red panda long and thick fuzzy tail has many uses. It helps them maintain balance in the trees. In winter, they put it around themselves for warmth. They even use it as a cozy pillow!

12. They are endangered

The IUCN lists red pandas as endangered and believes that the population has declined by 50% over the past 20 years, with less than 10000 red pandas left in the wild. Unfortunately, this decline is projected to continue due to the many threads that they are facing. Rapid human population growth in the Eastern Himalayas is causing deforestation and the degradation and fragmentation of red panda habitat by development projects. There are many organizations where you can adopt a red panda to help with their situation, for example at WWF or at Red Panda Network.

I hope you like red pandas as much as I do, after reading more about them. Thank you for being there!