10 Facts About the Red Panda

Which of our furry mammals eats bamboo leaves, grows to be about 60cm and detects different scents using their tongue? You guessed it, the Red Panda!

Red Pandas are both striking in appearance and endearing in nature. Our copper-coloured friends with feline-esque features are beautiful creatures that have a shy but very sweet temperament and relish in their solo life. When ready for a nap, they typically perch themselves high in forests as they sleep aloft.

Unique-looking as they may be, the Red Panda has a rather extraordinary family history as they belong to two separate species – this explains why their make-up is so rare and unusual. Not only are our bushy-tailed mates lucky enough to be related to both the panda and racoon families, but they actually belong to their own tribe which we refer to as the Ailuridae. This means they are not in fact a Panda at all, despite being named after one. Talk about modern family in the animal kingdom!

Now before we reveal any more plot twists, let’s get more acquainted with these fuzzy-wuzzy, roly-poly, round-eyed companions by learning ten interesting facts.

1. Where do Red Pandas Live?

For decades, Zoos and Sanctuarys all around the world have been caring for Red Pandas and preserving their heritage. However, in the wild, Red Pandas are found in high altitude forest habitats such as the Eastern Himalayas, Southwestern China and Northern Myanmar.

2. How Long is a Red Panda Tail?

While an adult Red Panda grows to be around 60 centimetres in length, their tail can grow to around 50 centimetres. This makes curling up at night with a warm, furry blanket very convenient!

3. How long do Red Pandas Live for?

The lifespan of a Red Panda is on average ten years. Approximately eight years when in the wild and up to fourteen years when being looked after in an established conservation facility such as Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

4. What do Red Pandas Eat?

Forget fish or chicken. Our Red Pandas stick to an omnivore orientated meal plan. They love to eat bamboo, fruit, roots, eggs and small insects.

5. Loves a Sleep In

If you think sleeping in until noon on a Sunday would be considered a decent lay in, then think again. Red Panda cubs don’t open their eyes until eighteen days after they are born. Let’s hope their hard working mum’s get some decent RnR after their cubs rise and shine. 

6. How much do Red Pandas Weigh?

Adult Red Pandas usually weigh anything between 3 and 8 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller than their male friends.

7. The Red Pandas Superpower is Smell

Red Pandas recognise each other by using their sense of smell. Imagine answering the door and determining who the person was by giving them a quick sniff. 

8. Red Panda’s have a Sweet Tooth!

Red Panda’s love their sweets.  In a study carried out by The Journal of Heredity, Red Pandas were given three different types of water. Regular water, naturally sweetened water and artificially sweetened water. Turns out, Red Pandas were a fan of artificial water most of all – the water containing aspartame and sucralose. 

9. An Internet Browser is named after the Red Panda

The Red Panda sparked the rebrand of internet browser, “Mozilla”.  After an unsuccessful attempt for the take-over of another name, the company settled on “Firefox” which is an alternative name for “Red Panda”. The Mozilla Firefox team wanted a logo that symbolized speed, agility, and a connection to the natural world.

10. Endangered Species

Sadly, Red pandas are currently listed as an endangered species and are facing extinction. Their numbers are decreasing in the wild due to fragmented habitat and poaching.  If agricultural pursuits such as logging continue to increase, so too does the probability of Red Panda extinction. According to WWF – Almost 50% of the Red Panda’s habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas. The loss of nesting trees and bamboo is causing a decline in Red Panda populations across much of their range because their forest home is being cleared.

Meet a Red Panda

You can meet Zeya the Red Panda, in the Lost Valley at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. (Map ref V16)