The red panda ( Ailurus fulgens) , is a mammal with a long tail which is brown-reddish in color. The Red Panda’s native habitats are the forests in the Himalayas ranges and the southern parts of China. Nepal, Burma, and India are also homes of some (Kong, et al., 2014; Su et al., 2001). They are sedentary during the early hours of the day and active from late afternoon through to the early evening hours. During the day, they stay in trees; sleeping in the branches or trunks (Glatston, 2010). Apart from twittering and whistling, the red panda is a quiet and territorial mammal, living by itself except when mating (Glatston, 2010). The International Union for Conservation of Nature has red-listed the red panda as one of the endangered species in the world. Poaching, inbreeding depression, loss of habitat to humans and natural processes has rendered its natural living place dangerous. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) organization, one of the reasons why people kill the Red pandas is to get the skin which is used to make hats and caps, some of which are in the market. Natives also poach them and use them in pelts in some parts of Myanmar and China (WWF, 2017). The Natural Geographic (2017) states that logging and deforestation are among the reasons why the red panda is classified as endangered. The logging and deforestation processes happen on a daily basis, shrinking the animal’s habitat and destroying their places of dwelling.
Physical Characteristics
The Red Panda is classified as a herbivore, but it feeds on both vegetation and meat comfortably. Bamboo leaves make the main meals in the diet alongside smaller animals such as birds as well as mushroom, eggs and berries (Kong et al. 2014). Red Pandas are slightly bigger than the cat but are relatively smaller when compared to the lion, cheetah and the leopard. Shrestha et al. (2015) also state that the animal's coloring patterns remains unchanged as the animal grows from juvenile to adult. Red pandas are varied in weight depending on the sex. A mature male weighs between 3.7 – 6.2 Kilograms while a mature female weighs between 4.2 – 6.0 Kilograms. The red pandas are unique, and there seem to be no other species with which they are related closely.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The red panda is known to have a unique coloring pattern. It has a white face with reddish marks from the eyes to the corners of the mouth. The ears are triangular in shape and white in color expect the red patches at the center. According to Glatston (2010), the Red Panda is brown on the top parts of the body and darker (black) in the lower parts; the abdomen and limbs. The tail is bushy, stripped and long to help it during locomotion on the ground, up the trees and when descending tree trunks. The tail is also used to cover the face of the animal during the day to keep light away. Their entire soles are covered in hair to help protect them from the cold surfaces during movement (Glatston, 2010). They also have short, strong claws that they use when climbing and down the trees. The red panda can stand on two for some time especially when feeding on the bamboo leaves or shoots. The head and body length of the panda ranges between 510 – 635 millimeters and the tail 280 – 485 millimeters in length. Glatston (2010) describes the jaws of the red panda as strong, with sharp teeth so that they can easily tear bamboo shots off the tree for a meal.
The reproductive parameters of the red panda are unique. They are mostly monogamous in nature, with one spending time with another during the mating season. Red pandas grow into an adult size within a year and are ready for reproduction from at least two years. Mostly a single mother will have 1-3 cubs with one birth, and four on rare occasions. The reproductive lifespan from red pandas in European regions is 1-15 years for the male and 1-12 years for the female. In Asia, the reproductive lifespan is approximately 10 years for both the male and the female (CBSG, 2014). After birth, the cubs stay with the mother until she has another set of cubs, they then leave on their own to start their lives (CBSG, 2014).
The Situation Today
IUCN classifies the red panda as endangered because there are less than ten thousand (10 000) adults are alive today, and the population continues to reduce cat a high rate, most of which live in the wild and are exposed risk factors. The IUCN has established some of the reasons that have led to the significant reduction in the population of the Red Panda. They include human poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation and the reduced inbreeding amongst the species (Glatston, 2010). The habitat loss is related to the encroachment by humans in search of grazing, farming and settlement lands (Sharma and Jerrold, 2010). The rapid decline of the Red Pandas has led to increased calls to protect it from extinction. Kong et al. (2014) state that there were about 800 red pandas in zoos and game parks in 2006. There are also attempts to help increase the number of captured red pandas by ex situ breeding (Kumar et al., 2016).
Nepal
Red pandas live in several provinces of Nepal despite the increased pressure from the people. The numbers are scanty, and they keep falling as the encroachment continues. Today, there are 317 confirmed species in the whole of Nepal though the numbers are thought to be higher. IUCN lists Nepal as the most critical habitat for the red pandas. Unlike other habitats where they are enlisted as threatened, in Nepal, it has been considered as endangered. Nepal has a law, The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (NPWCA) of 1973, which is supposed to protect the red panda from poaching and other factors that can cause its extension (Sharma and Jerrold, 2010). However, the red pandas are still being killed and forced to move to unsuitable areas where they are likely to die (Sharma and Jerrold, 2010). The lack of management plans has largely contributed to the potential threat since human and domestic animals frequently invade the game reserves in Nepal. The laws are in place, but there is no goodwill to fully implement it and help protect a native and important species in the country. The NPWCA prohibits the killing and capturing dead or alive red pandas (Bista & Rajiv, 2014). Despite these efforts, there are still uncontrolled killing of the species, mostly from humans beings (Bista & Rajiv, 2014). Bista & Rajiv (2014) also state that human poaching, dogs, predation and natural deaths are the main courses of the slump in red panda numbers in Nepal.
China
Like Nepal, China faces a challenge of protecting the red pandas from natural and human causes, a problem that has persisted for a long time. China is the home of the biggest number of the red pandas, approximated at 6000 – 7000. According to the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group - CBSG (2014), there are some threats that the red pandas and laws protecting them face. Some of the threats include grazing, construction (dams, roads, etc.), deforestation for farmlands, urbanization and human settlement, mining and industrialization, natural disasters (earthquakes), diseases that affect the red pandas and bamboo and weak laws and inspirited enforcement of the laws (CBSG, 2014). The red panda has been confirmed in 88 counties in 5 provinces of China. Most of the Red Pandas live in the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. Red pandas are mostly concentrated in the mountains ranges of southwestern China. The mountain ranges have been identified as Eco-regions by the Chinese government and other wildlife conservation agencies (CBSG, 2014). Human-related factors are still the leading cause for the declined in number.
Unlike Nepal, China has not experienced extreme killing of the red panda, but the rates of deforestation for the construction of infrastructure is high and threatening to the pandas. There are established laws and regulations that help protect the red pandas from potential extinction. Such laws include the Forest Law, the Protection of Wildlife Law and the Environmental Protection Law which together have provisions to protect the habitat and the red pandas among other natural plants and animals.
Conclusion
The red panda is a species of mammals that lives in the temperate areas of the Himalayas, China, Nepal, Burma, and parts of India. It is cat-like, albeit bigger, and reddish in color. The head and the triangular ears are covered with white fur except the red patches. They have long, stripped tails covered with thick fur; they use tails for balancing when in motion and to cover the body and face during the cold seasons. The red panda is adapted to living deep in the forests where they can easily access bamboo shoots and leaves. Usually, the red pandas live in solitary and move closer to each other during their mating seasons. The mother takes about four months to give birth and takes care of the cubs until the delivery of the next set of cubs, upon which it chases the older ones away. The species is classified as endangered because of the increased killings related to human activities and the destruction of their habitats. In Nepal, China and India, most of the conflict arises because of the people seeking grazing fields, farmlands, settlement areas and other reasons. Other animals such as dogs also kill the red pandas. Red pandas are left with a smaller area to live in, exposing them to the ever-growing danger. The IUCN, NPWCA and other organizations and statutes have proposed conservation of the environments and the constituents such as the red panda, but the number are still drastically falling due to lack of a laid down implementation strategy. People still kill and capture them for various reasons.
Nepal and China make up the major habitats for the red pandas. However, there are factors within these countries that threaten the lives of the red pandas. There are laws, but they are not implemented fully. There needs to be more assertiveness by the law enforcing agencies so that people can respect the red pandas and save them from going extinct.
Works Cited;
Bista, Damber, and Rajiv Paudel. (2014). "An Overview of the Status and Conservation Initiatives of Red Panda Ailurus fulgens (Cuvier, 1825) in Nepal." The Initiation 5 171-181.
Conservative Breeding Specialist Group (2014). “R ed Pandas in China Population and Habitat Viability Assessment Workshop .” Retrieved March 13, 2017 from: http://www.cbsg.org/sites/cbsg.org/files/documents/Red%20Panda%20PHVA%20in%20China%20Final%20Report%20(2).pdf
Glatston, Angela. (2010). Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda . William Andrew. Print
Kong, Fanli, et al. (2014). Characterization of the Gut Microbiota in the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens). PloS One 9(2): e87885.
Kumar, A., Rai, U., Roka, B., Jha, A. K., & Reddy, P. A. (2016). Genetic assessment of captive red panda (Ailurus fulgens) population. Springer Plus, 5(1), 1750.
National Geographic. (2017). Red Panda . Retrieved March 13, 2017 from: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/r/red-panda/
Sharma, Hari Pd, and Jerrold L. Belant. (2010). "Threats and Conservation of red pandas in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, Nepal." Human Dimensions of Wildlife 15( 4): 299-300.
Shrestha, Saroj, et al. (2015) "Photographic Identification of Individual Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens Cuvier, 1825)." Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 3(1): 11-15.
Su, Bing, et al. (2001). Genetic diversity and population history of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) as inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence variations. Molecular Biology and Evolution 18(6): 1070-1076.
World Wildlife Fund. (2017). Red Panda . Retrieved March 13, 2017 from: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/red-panda
