Red Panda
Ailurus fulgens
Overview
Among the rarest mammals in the world, the red panda inhabits the mountain forests of India, Nepal, Burma and China. They thrive in forested areas, especially evergreen, semi-persistent tropical areas that are home to a dense undergrowth of bamboo (the panda’s favourite food).
The remote Singalila National Park, a vast strip of Himalayan forest on the border between Nepal and India, is therefore the ideal place to observe the rarest animals, its dense forests constituting a natural habitat for these solitary creatures and Tree. Singalila was the site of the first successful reintroduction of the red panda in 2004, documented in the film “Cherub of the Mist” (2006).
Where to Find
Red pandas can be found in the high-altitude forests of Nepal, Bhutan, India, China, and Myanmar on the southern edge of the Himalayas and neighbouring mountainous regions in the east.
Of the two species of red pandas, Ailurus fulgens fulgens is found on the western side of the range in Nepal, Bhutan, China, and India, while Ailurus fulgens styani is more commonly found in the east in China and Myanmar.
The total potential habitat for red pandas is estimated to be around 140,000 sq km, with China having the largest potential habitat, followed by India. However, due to habitat degradation, only around 58,000 sq km is currently inahbited by red pandas.
