Conserving the Red Panda Austine Decker
Audience and Scope The purpose of this factsheet is to give an overview of the mammals known commonly as red pandas. Time will be spent discussing the red pandas characteristics, broken into two parts with the first covering general information such as a species description, habitat requirements, behavior, and lifestyle. This will expand into a discussion of the evolution of the red pandas and its scientific classification in the animal world. The younger generations, specifically children ages 12 and under, may not be aware that the red panda is not only a real animal and not part of the panda family, but is also an endangered species with a shrinking habitat. This document aims to act as both an educational tool and increases awareness among children as well as their accompanying parents and is intended for use alongside exhibits and enclosures found in zoos and wildlife refuges. Introduction Red pandas are a type of mammal exhibiting characteristics of both raccoons and cats, as opposed to pandas as their name suggests, and which are listed as an endangered species. The purpose of educating children on this species is to increase awareness through the sharing of basic species facts and where the species came from. This education takes place at informational booths found in wildlife refuges and at zoo enclosures that include red pandas, and can be offered to the public by employees of these places as well as in the form of pamphlets to be included with red panda plush animals and other merchandise. To give this information to the public, it must first be consolidated into simple sections and written for a younger audience, as will be presented in this document. Figure 1. Red Panda Zoo Enclosure Zoo keepers care for Xiao the red panda at the Fort Wayne Children s Zoo in preparation of the exhibit reopening. An endangered species is a plant or animal that may go extinct if it is not protected Figure 2. Red Panda Species Overview Unlike related mammal species such as raccoons and cats, red pandas have characteristics from multiple animals and are therefore classified as a separate species entirely. Both their appearance and behaviors set them apart from other species. Description Red pandas are roughly the size of large cats with bodies similar to raccoons. Their bodies are covered with rustcolored fur, which lightens to white around their faces, and darkens to black on their legs and feet. They have bushy striped tails used for balancing in trees. These mammals are typically nocturnal, active through the night as well as in the early mornings and twilight hours. Red panda at the Singapore Wildlife Reserves River Safari, in the Giant Panda Forest. 1
Evolution Behavior and Life Cycle Due to their slow growth, young red pandas remain with their mothers for over a year before adventuring out on their own. Upon reaching adulthood, they tend to keep to themselves, except during mating season each year. Males tend to have territories twice as large as females. While not carnivores, red pandas keep territories in a similar manner in that their space does not intersect the space of another. This helps to prevent their food resources (bamboo, fruit, roots, etc.) from running out. Habitat The red panda is a native species to the region from Nepal to Myanmar, and parts of China. They prefer cool forest areas where the weather remains about the same yearround. This area, while large, contains small sections of bamboo throughout and so the red panda is restricted to these small spaces of land. Due to deforestation, the red panda is quickly losing its habitat. Scientists are unclear as to the exact time period that the red pandas appeared. Research has found fossils of a similar species in North America but as there is no way the red panda could have swum across the Pacific Ocean, scientists believe the two species went through convergent evolution. The closest relatives to the red panda are believed to be the raccoon and the panda bear. These mammals share physical similarities to raccoons in the shape of their skull and the rings around their tails. Red panda DNA, however, is more like the DNA of modern bears such as the giant panda which it shares its name with. These connections have placed the red panda into a classification of its own. Figure 3. Red Panda Habitat The orange-shaded region of the map is the native habitat of the red panda, which is located in southern Asia. Deforestation is the clearing of trees, usually in a large amount Convergent evolution is the process of how two species that are not related evolve and share similar characteristics, traits, and environments Due to the unique nature of this species, they now act as a link between other mammal species in the evolutionary lines. If red pandas were to go extinct, this would mean scientists would lose that connection and a section of biological history would be gone forever. 2
Make a Difference The red panda population is slowly shrinking as more forests are destroyed, but you can make a difference by following these steps: Raise awareness. Share the information you learn with your friends and family. The more people who know about the red panda and how unique they are as a species, the more people can help save them; Donate. If you have a few spare dollars, give them to organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to help conserve territory for red pandas in Asia, as well as to support the zoos who are protecting this species from extinction. Volunteer. With your parents permission, volunteer at wildlife refuges where you can help build and maintain habitats for animals like the red panda. Adopt a red panda. The World Wildlife Fund allows you to adopt a red panda. You pay a fee and receive a picture and official papers that show which red panda you re supporting. For an extra fee, you can also receive a red panda plush. The proceeds from the adoption go toward the support and care of red pandas. By learning about the red panda, you can help save this unique species. 3
Works Cited "About the Red Panda." Red Panda Network. Red Panda Network. Web. 25 July 2014. <http://redpandanetwork.org/red_panda/about-the-redpanda/>. "Red Panda (Ailurus Fulgens)." EDGE of Existence. The Zoological Society of London. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.p hp?id=19>. "Red Panda Fact Sheet." San Diego Zoo Global. San Diego Zoo Global, 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/red_panda/red_p anda.htm>. "Red Panda." Fact Sheet. Smithosonian Institute. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/asiatrail/redpanda/factsh eet.cfm>. "Red Panda." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund. Web. 25 July 2014. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/redpanda>. "Red Pandas, Red Panda Pictures, Red Panda Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/ red-panda/>. PHOTO SOURCES Cover "Red Panda Pictures." Screativeimage. N.p., 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://screativeimage.com/ct/8823696-redpanda-pictures.html>. Figure 1 "Red Panda Cub Gets a Name." Red Panda ::. Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, n.d. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://kidszoo.org/category/red-panda/>. Figure 2 "Red Panda." River Safari. Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group, 2012. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://pandas.riversafari.com.sg/red-panda.html>. Figures 3 and 4 (no label) "Red Panda." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund. Web. 25 July 2014. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/redpanda>. 4