Ailurus fulgens a species that’s threatened by inbreeding depression. The risk of extinction is higher than average for red pandas. The red panda or Ailurus fulgens species is a unique and valued part of the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Known for it’s distinctive raccoon like appearance and distinctive red coat the red panda is easily identifiable amongst its giant counterpart.. “The red panda… is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China that has been classified as vulnerable by IUCN as its wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals”(
Wang). they have long reddish black fur on their torso and tail along with black fur on their legs and a light face. Their head has upright ears, badges similar to a raccoon, a black nose, and immensely dark eyes. Their tails have approximately six red transverse ochre rings. Endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas and foothills of Nepal and China the red panda also shares part of their range with giant pandas. They prefer Living within mixed deciduous and conifer forests with dense bamboo undergrowth.
They only live in temperate forests in the foothills of the Himalayas. the temperature is generally cool with little variation throughout the year. The slopes of the mountains trap the water of seasonal monsoons feed forests of firs, deciduous hardwoods, and rhododendrons. The bamboo undergrowths of these forests only grow in narrow bands throughout their range and feed the majority of their diet. (Roberts, Miles). As excellent climbers they forage mostly in trees. Their diet is very unusual for a mammal and consists mostly of bamboo.
Where the weather is warm they tend to supplement 13 of their diet with insects and fruit. Unlike the giant panda, they only eat only the young bamboo shoots opposed to the whole plant. As well they chew thoroughly unlike the giant panda that barely chews at all. “The red panda’s preference for bamboo is apparently an ancient adaptation, as indicated by fossils of similar animals that have been found in Eastern Europe and North America”(Barney, Long)This means that they most likely ate meat in the past. The specimens that were found dated back to the Miocene and Pliocene periods.
This points to red panda like creatures and bamboo possibly have been found throughout the world and only surviving in southern Asia. The red panda has behavior unlike most animals. It is nocturnal which means it sleeps most of the day and is awake during the night. During the daytime the red panda spends most of its time sleeping in a tree. At dusk and dawn the spend their time eating and foraging. They spend their time when they wake up licking themselves clean. They are usually awake half the day and it goes up during mating season.
They are also considered to be very solitary, due to spending most of it’s time alone. The life cycle of a red panda is similar to that of most mammals. their life cycle starts of in the spring or summer time when females give birth to a single cub or twins. the mother usually makes a nest in a hollow tree or on a rock. when she gives birth the cubs are blind for three weeks after birth similar to puppies. cubs are usually fed by milk for three to four months. when lactating the mother must eat three times as much to provide milk for her cubs. fter one year they leave the protection of their mother and live independently for up to fourteen years until death. Of the threats that face the red pandas the primary causes are habitat loss in India and poaching in China. In 50 years their population in china has dropped by 50% and in the Himalayas their population is even lower.
Deforestation inhibits the spread of red pandas and exacerbate the natural population, leading to fragmentation of the remaining wild population “Small groups of animals with little opportunity for exchange between them face the risk of nbreeding, decreased genetic diversity, and even extinction. “(Gladston 1994:20) this is also known as inbreeding depression. This can cause birth defects. Without proper numbers natural selection has a much less pronounced effect. In China they are hunted for their tails and hides. They are usually used as good luck charms in cultural ceremonies such as weddings. In Nepal pandas were captured and sold into zoos. Thanks to CITES the numbers have drastically dropped in recent years, yet poaching continues, and they are usually sold to private owners at exorbitant prices.
As of 2008 the species has been labeled vulnerable due to having a population of approximately 10,000 adults. “Due to their shy and secretive nature, and their largely nocturnal habits, observation of red pandas is difficult. Therefore, population figures in the wild are determined by population density estimates and not direct counts”(Wang) also in Burma people thought red pandas were commonplace, and had “proof” which turned out to be a nocturnal creature called a civet. “The red panda is protected in all range countries, and hunting is illegal. “( Wang). Conservation efforts vary greatly between countries.
China has 35 protected areas covering about 42. 4% of red panda habitat,”(Wang) India has 20 protected areas with known or possible red panda populations. One hope to secure their survival is their adaptability to living in captivity. there were 800 individuals in captivity around the world. The Knoxville Zoolyes the one in Tennessee) has the largest number of captive red panda births in the Western Hemisphere (101 as of August 2011)(Gladston 2007) The red panda through all of its’ trials will make it through, if people spent the time and money to protect the ecosystem.