The word panda comes from the Nepalese “poonya” which means bamboo eater.The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), also known as the red cat bear or lesser panda, is a mostly herbivorous mammal that feeds mainly on bamboo. Red pandas grow to about 50-63cm in length and have weight up to 6kg.
Distribution: On the temperate Himalayan forests of western Nepal.
They are skillful climbers that, they spend most of their time in the trees curled up with their long tails wrapped around their heads. A thick fur offers additional protection from the harsh mountain weather.
Red Pandas are threatened by less habitat and deforestation. An increase in human population, particularly in Nepal, has seen the red panda’s bamboo forest homes cleared for timber, fuel wood and agriculture land, driving them to them to become a threatened species.
Though various protection efforts are going on, Red Panda remain highly endangered. Some pandas are found in Nepal’s Langtang National Park, Annapurna Conservation Area, Sagarmatha National Park, Manaslu Conservation Area, Makalu Barun National Park and Kangchenjunga Conservation Area. Over 75% of potential red panda habitat remains outside the protected areas.

Conserving the red panda and its habitat is vital to enhance the global biodiversity.