With a cute face, abundant reddish-brown hair and a small fluffy body, the red panda is an animal that has become popular thanks to Red, the most recent Disney film, as it fights to survive extinction. In its most recent film, Pixar tells the story of Mei Lei, a 13-year-old girl who is about to enter adolescence and who turns into a huge red panda whenever she gets excited.
But different from what we can see in the film, in reality, red pandas are tiny acrobats that are similar in size to a domestic cat. Red pandas are excellent acrobats that usually live swinging and climbing in Asian forests, which is why they are rarely observed.
This is what red pandas are like
Some say that the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) has an appearance similar to that of a kitten, and that is why it was previously related to raccoons since its exact relationship with the giant panda was unknown, but the most recent DNA research They revealed that they indeed belong to the same family.
The physical differences between both species are obvious, while the giant panda is a huge bear, the Red Panda is characterized by weighing between 3 and 7 kilos and reaching a maximum size of 63 centimeters, although its ringed tail can measure up to 28 centimeters. of length. Its most characteristic feature is a bright reddish coat that hides three layers of hair, in addition to having bright, round eyes in a small triangular face.
Regarding their behavior, we give you some key data that distinguishes them:
Where does the red panda live?
The species lives in the Asian forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan, northern Myanmar (Burma) and central Myanmar, it is often difficult to see them because they are always found in forested and high altitude areas, such as the Himalayas or the south of the Tibet. These areas have the perfect conditions for the species to develop due to abundant food and suitable climate, and it is in these tall trees where they spend the vast majority of their lives in the trees, climbing, sleeping and taking in a lot of sunlight.
What does a red panda eat?
Although red pandas belong to the order of carnivorous animals, their diet is actually based on fruits, acorns, roots, eggs, and occasionally rodents and birds. Most of their food consists of bamboo, since each day they must eat up to 2 kilos of that plant, and like giant pandas, evolution gave red pandas a bone on the side of their claws, which they allows you to grab bamboo shoots.
Why is the red panda in danger of extinction?
The disappearance of forests in its natural habitat, of the species and illegal trafficking for the purposes of the pet trade has meant that this animal is on the verge of disappearing. In recent years, organizations such as Free the Bear managed to rescue specimens of Red Pandas that were about to be sold in wildlife markets.
How much does a red panda cost?
The cost of a red panda is between $50,000 and $70,000, according to the organization Free the Bears, which seeks to stop the illegal trade of the species. Red pandas receive protection from the local laws of the countries where they are found to prevent the sale of more specimens, but in recent years seizures have been made of the colorful skins that characterize the species, adding to this a new and exotic tendency to consume panda meat.
It is necessary to remember that this is a beautiful species that is about to disappear, although we would all like to hug a small and adorable red panda, the best place for it to live is in the forests where it belongs.