Red Panda

(Ailurus fulgens)

Hamilton Zoo has one Red Panda called Chito

Live: Himalayas from Nepal to Assam

Habitat: Temperate forests found between 2200m and 4800m

Diet: Mainly bamboo, but also small mammals, birds, eggs, blossoms and berries

Gestation: 112-158 days, 1-4 young born

Longevity: 14 years

Status: Endangered

General: Looking more like a racoon than a giant panda, the red panda has striking chestnut fur, bellies and limbs are black, a bushy, striped tail and a white face. They are a lot smaller than giant pandas, only reaching 50-60cm in body length and weighing 3-5kg.

Red pandas are mainly active at dawn and dusk, spending most of the day resting in the tree cavities and rock clefts. The pads of their feet are covered in hair to prevent them slipping and they can jump up to 1.5m from branch to branch.

Red pandas are normally solitary, only coming together at the beginning of the breeding season. The young are born in a hollow tree, fully furred but blind and helpless. They generally stay with their mother until the following breeding season. They are territorial, marking the boundaries with scent, using urine and substances secreted from their footpads.

They are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and hunting by locals.