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The
red panda or Ailurus fulgens is a smaller relative of the
giant panda. Many zoologists debate weather the red pandas
are more closely related to the raccoon family or to the
bear family, but many experts think they belong to a family
of their own. The red panda is slightly larger than a large
housecat, has rusty red fur, a long light and dark striped
tail, a short white nose, and dark tear tracks. It is crepuscular
which means it is active around dawn and dusk and is very
good at climbing and spends much of its time in trees.
Red pandas are called by many names including lesser panda,
hun-ho, wah, and red cat bear. Besides your local zoo the
red panda in nature is often found in the bamboo forests
of Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, Tibet and Yunnan provinces in western
China. The red panda feeds mostly on bamboo leaves just
like it's larger cousin the great panda bear. They are also
known to feed on berries, mushrooms, bark, bird eggs, acorns,
lichens and mice. If you visit them in the zoo you will
learn that there they are fed bamboo biscuits.
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