The Red Panda is an endangered species, living at elevations of 7,000 to 12,000 feet, primarily in the Indian forested states of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. This reddish, furry little creature looks very little like it's cousin, the more well-known Giant panda, but is just as adorable.
The Red Panda's most direct threat is that of the Snow Leopard, a beautiful but also endangered species as well. Most veterinary scientists and ecologist agree though, that the biggest threat to this amazing arboreal mammal is loss of habitat due to deforestation.
The Red Panda is endemic to colder regions of India's Himalayan forests. It's main diet consists of bamboo, but also can include eggs, berries and flowers. One of the Indian areas devoted to the preservation of the Red Panda is the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park a 68 acre zoo located in the city of Darjeeling of West Bengal.
An interesting fact about the Red Panda, is that they primarily communicate with each other using their own version of sign language, with head motions, paw waving and body motions. The Red Panda also throws in some unique quacking and whistling when speaking others.
Despite being sometimes referred to as the "lesser panda", the Red Panda is also known as the red bear cat and the red cat bear. They also resemble the American Raccoon, with a black stripped tail and "bandit" looking face, sometimes.
Please read the other parts in the Hawk's Heart Series
Aging Tiger Rescue - Hawk's Heart, Part 1 - An Original Short Story and Sketch Renderings
The Bengal Tiger, aka as The Royal Tiger, hails as The national Animal of both India and Bangladesh. The bengal is considered the most populous tiger species in the world, with a 2011 estimate set at 2500 approximately. Unfortunately the Bengal's numbers are decreasing annually. Please consider supporting the following charities to help the Bengal Tiger:
WorldWildLife.org
NationalTigerSanctuary.org
BigCatRescue.org
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