Red Pandaby Gerry Bishop Meet Asia’s YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT Red pandas and giant OTHER panda. pandas are alike in some Everybody knows and loves ways, though. Both live in those big, black-and-white cool, misty forests near the giant pandas, right? But there’s Himalaya Mountains of central another panda that most Asia. And both spend a lot of people know little or nothing time munching on a kind of about. It’s the raccoon-sized tough grass called bamboo. red panda. Both animals are Bamboo is a “low-energy” called pandas, but don’t let food and very hard to digest, that fool you. The giant panda and not just any animal can is a bear, while the red panda survive by eating it. But is in a group of its own. Red bamboo is plentiful where pandas have no close relatives. red pandas live, so they have evolved in ways that help them make the best of it. To find out how, turn the page.

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where red pandas live

Panda comes from a word that means “bamboo eater.”

6 KATHERINE FENG > 7 As a red panda scrambles among the branches, its long tail swings to and fro, helping the animal keep balance.

Let the snowflakes fall! A red panda’s coat is super thick and warm. Even a red panda’s paws are covered in furry “mittens” (circle).

A WAY OF LIFE pack very little food en- If you ever travel to red pan- ergy, red pandas must spend da land, you will probably have almost all of their awake-time to look up to spot one of these stuffing themselves. The rest of little creatures. Red pandas live the time, they just sleep or relax almost full-time in the treetops. to digest the rough meals. And they have the right “tools” for living there: cat-like claws for A COAT FOR THE COLD gripping bark and short, power- Winters can be bitter cold

ful legs for climbing. where red pandas live. But the Like a giant But, wait. If red pandas eat pandas have everything they panda, a red mostly bamboo—a kind of need to survive that, too. Their panda has a special kind of grass—what are they doing in thick, furry coats hold in almost wrist bone that the treetops? The answer is that all of the pandas’ body heat. it uses as a bamboo grows very tall. And so (Snowflakes that land on them thumb to get a good grip on red pandas can reach the best don’t melt!) And when the pan- bamboo shoots. parts of the plant—the leaves das sleep, they wrap their bushy and the tips of young shoots— tails around their faces to keep Need to climb straight up a by climbing trees. them warm. Even the bottoms of tree trunk? It’s no problem Because even the best parts their paws are covered in fur! when you have sharp claws and powerful legs.

KATHERINE FENG (8L) >; JUAN CARLOS MUNOZ/NATUREPL.COM ROBERT MOIOLA/NATUREINSTOCK/ARDEA (9TR) >; (8-9T) >; DR. AXEL GEBAUER/NATUREPL.COM (9 INSET) > RÉGIS CAVIGNAUX/SCIENCE SOURCE (9B) > 9 “Let it rain—we’re happy up Time to check this little one’s weight. here!” High in the treetops, But the cub keeps trying to climb out red pandas find food—and of the bucket it’s in! “Sit! Stay!” the safety from animals that caretaker seems to be telling the cub. might want to eat them!

MORE HELP ON THE WAY Wild red pandas are super shy, and they’re experts at hiding from people. That makes it hard for scientists to study them in their natural habitat. So some This cub is loving scientists are helping red pandas its special HANGING ON to breed and raise their babies at red panda formula. Scientists have found fos- “Check it out!” says a mem- zoos and research centers. sils of red pandas (or animals ber of Nepal’s Red Panda By studying these captive- Network. He’s discovered a very much like them) in many place that a red panda uses bred pandas, scientists are parts of the world. But, as the as a toilet. The smells tell learning a lot about the ani- world changed over millions of other pandas, “This is my mals’ day-to-day needs and territory, so stay away!” years, those animals died out. habits. And that knowledge Today, the only red pandas still could, for example, help scien- surviving are those in some tists find, track, and observe mountainous forests of central wild red pandas. Asia (see map on page 6). No one is learning more Even those pandas are hav- about red pandas than the staff ing a tough time. The forests at the Smithsonian Conserva- where they live are being cut tion Biology Institute in Front down for lumber and farm- Royal, Virginia (see photos on ing. And some red pandas this page). are being illegally hunted for Even in places like this, it’s their beautiful fur coats and best if panda mothers raise tails. During the past 18 years, their cubs. So, many moms here the number of red pandas has do. But when the moms need fallen from about 20,000 to help, human caretakers step in. about 10,000. As you can see, these red pan- But the good news is that das get the best of care. But all people are helping to stop this work is just the beginning. the illegal hunting and also There is still a lot to learn about protecting the forests that red helping red pandas succeed in pandas need. the wild. =

Bye for now, Little Red. 10 DR. AXEL GEBAUER/NPL/MINDEN PICTURES (10T; 10B); DREW ANGERER (11T, 11M, 11B) We wish you well! 11