Raising Red Pandas

High up in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains live some of the world’s most hard-to-find creatures: red pandas. These small mammals, about the size of a house cat, are endangered. Fewer than 10,000 remain in the wild.

Red pandas have cinnamon-colored fur and big, bushy tails. They spend most of their time in trees. Red pandas’ coloring helps them hide from predators—and from scientists. “That has limited our ability to observe them in the wild,” says biologist Elizabeth Freeman.

Freeman works at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia. Scientists there breed red pandas and help raise their young. They hope what they learn about red pandas will help save the species.

Red pandas live high up in the Himalayan mountains. They are very hard to find. Red pandas are small mammals. They are about the size of a house cat. They are also endangered. Fewer than 10,000 red pandas live in the wild today.

Red pandas have fur that is the color of cinnamon. They have tails that are big and thick with fur. Red pandas spend most of their time in trees. The color of their fur helps them hide from predators. It also helps them hide from scientists. “That has limited our ability to observe them in the wild,” says biologist Elizabeth Freeman.

Freeman works at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia. Scientists at the institute breed red pandas. They help raise red panda cubs. The scientists hope that what they learn about red pandas will help them to save the species.

Despite their name, red pandas aren’t closely related to black-and-white panda bears. In fact, red pandas aren’t bears at all. They’re distantly related to raccoons, weasels, and skunks. 

Special adaptations help red pandas survive in cool, rainy Himalayan forests. In recent years, though, red pandas’ forest habitat has changed. People have cleared trees to make room for farms and roads. 

Red pandas are not related to black-and-white panda bears. Red pandas aren’t bears at all. They are distantly related to raccoons, weasels, and skunks.

Red pandas’ bodies are special. They are made to survive in Himalayan forests. Himalayan forests are cool and rainy. But the forests where red pandas live have changed. People have cleared trees to make room for farms and roads.

Another big threat is climate change. As temperatures in the region warm, scientists expect red pandas will move higher up in the mountains where it’s cooler. There they’ll compete with other species for food and shelter. No one knows if red pandas can survive in these higher areas.

That’s why scientists hope raising the red pandas in captivity will teach them more about the mysterious animals. 

Climate change is also a big threat. Temperatures in the Himalayas are warming. Scientists expect red pandas will move. They think red pandas will try to live higher up in the mountains, where it is cooler. Red pandas will have to compete with other species of animals for food and shelter. No one knows whether red pandas can survive in these higher areas.

Scientists hope to learn more about red pandas by raising the animals in captivity.