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Red Panda? More like Red Raccoon!

Fun Facts About Red Pandas

The red panda is a cute and fuzzy animal that lives in China and the eastern Himalayas. It is commonly believed that these mammals are related to pandas, however red pandas are instead more closely related to raccoons.

Red pandas are known for their incredible climbing abilities; because of this, they developed a “fake” thumb. This thumb is an extended wrist that improves their climbing and handling of food. Red pandas are mainly recognized for their eye-catching fur color and cuteness. These pandas lick themselves clean and are similar in size to a house cat. Red pandas wrap their tails to keep warm when they are asleep. Besides the mating season, red pandas tend to live solitary lifestyles. Their lifespan in the wild can be up to 15 years and in captivity they can live up to 20 years. They eat small animals, insects, and bamboo.

Red pandas are an endangered species due to the deforestation of bamboo, and illegal hunting. Humans will poach them for their red fur which can be profitable. Red pandas are the main target for illegal pet trade due to the animal’s incredible cuteness.

It is important to protect the red pandas in order to gain more knowledge about them and save the species. If they’re not protected, they will face extinction.

[Source: Red Panda Facts]

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