Red panda. Red,or lesser,panda (Ailurus fulgens) eating bamboo. The red panda inhabits mountainous forests in China,north-eastern India and Nepal. It is in a different family (Procyonidae) from the giant panda (Ailuropodidae). It feeds almost exclusively on bamboo leaves,although it also takes small rodents,small birds and birds' eggs. When it is not feeding,it spends most of its time in trees,and is an accomplished climber thanks to its sharp claws. It is nocturnal,spending the day curled up in branches or a tree hollow. A solitary animal,it meets others only to mate,but the young may stay with their mother for over a year. Photographed in the Wolong Nature Reserve,China |