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Red Panda | Ocean Park Hong Kong

Mammals

Red Panda

Scientific Name

Ailurus fulgens

Other Common Name(s)

Lesser Panda, Firefox

Body Weight

4-6 kg

Body Length

Head and body: 56-63 cm
Tail: 37-47 cm

Silhouette of a red panda next to a human figure for size comparison.

Red panda walking on a tree branch with its mouth slightly open.

Habitat

Forests

Diet

Mainly bamboo, as well as the fruits and roots of other plants, lichens, bird eggs, young birds and insects

Fun Facts

Red pandas have a "pseudothumb" formed by an extension of their wrist bone that helps them grasp bamboo stems.

Their tail helps them maintain balance while in trees. They also use their flurry tails like blankets or pillows to keep themselves warm while they sleep in winter.

Red panda eating bamboo leaves, holding a stalk with its paw.

Red panda with mouth slightly open, looking left, surrounded by green leaves.

Distribution

The Himalayas, including countries such as China, Nepal and India

Threats & Conservation

Threats

Urbanisation & Infrastructure
Overexploitation of Biological Resources
Human Disturbance & Ecosystem Disruption
Invasive Species & Diseases
Climate Change

Red pandas are losing their homes to humans, and struggling in highly fragmented habitats. People cut down the forests to make way for housing, farming and infrastructure. They collect bamboo and firewood for other uses. They bring in livestock, which grazes and tramples the bamboo, and dogs that attack red pandas and spread deadly diseases. Another threat is poachers, who catch red pandas for the pet trade, or for their skin and meat. It is estimated that the population of red pandas may have dropped by half in around 20 years.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

Endangered

Red List of China's Biodiversity

Vulnerable

CITES

Appendix I

Conservation

Chinese Wildlife Conservation Law: Category 2
Protected under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong.

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