The Ruthless Life of the Red Panda

The bamboo forest is home to the Red Panda. The Red Panda is constantly targeted by predators and hunters. Although it isn't always caught it has started to go extinct. Predators such as the Snow Leopard targets the Red Panda for food. If the Red Panda goes extinct then it will cause an imbalance in the ecosystem. The Imbalances would cause the prey of the panda to flourish and the predators to the panda to die out. If the Red Panda goes extinct, the whole ecosystem would have to adapt to changes causing many more to go extinct and flourish. The Red Panda, can change the ecosystem in many ways. Just removing the Red Panda from the ecosystem could cause the whole ecosystem to shut down. The Red Panda plays a special role in the ecosystem like any other animal. Although, it isnt a well known animal, it still should be kept in ecosystem.

Description

The Red Panda, otherwise known as the Ailurus Fulgens is the distant relative to the Giant Panda (Red Panda, Smithsonian). The Red Panda lives in the forest and feeds on Bamboo (Where Do Red Pandas Live). The little critter can weigh up to 17lbs and is 1.9ft long. The Red Panda despite its name is not just red. The Red Panda can be others such as Black, White, and shades of brown (Red Panda, Smithsonian). The Red Panda has other features people wouldn’t notice at first sight. One of the features is its retractable claws. The retractable claws are a crucial part of its survival. The claws of the Panda allow it to climb trees and rip off bamboo from the bamboo trees (Red Panda, National Geographic). The Red Panda, also, has adapted to running on branches of the bamboo. Although the Red Panda is small it still has many features, it uses for its survival.

Habitat

The Red Panda lives deep within the eastern Himalayas. The Red Panda lives in the forests of China, Nepal, and Bhutan (Where do Red Pandas Live). The Red Panda lives in the forest to evade its predators. Due to the panda’s semi-retractable claws, they can climb trees, jump from tree to tree, and catch their prey. The trees in the forests allow the panda to get away from the predator and hide, but due to the acts of deforestation, the habitat is endangered (Red Panda, Smithsonian). Due to the growth of the human population, more housing needs to be made. If the habitat of the Red Panda habitat disappears, it can lead to the extinction of the Red Panda population. The Red Panda needs its habitat and its resources to survive (Red Panda, Smithsonian). Without the protection of the forest, the Red Panda will easily be spotted by its predator. The Red Panda's small body allows it to travel in the bamboo, and if the trees are gone the branches are also gone. Without the branches, the Red Panda can't avoid predators. The Red Panda travels faster when jumping branch to branch (Red Panda, National Geographic). So when it’s trying to catch its prey it will be too slow. Even though the Red Panda’s habitat grants it protection, it also protects its prey. Other dangers that may occur due to the deforestation of the Red Panda habitat may lead to a disruption in the ecosystem, the bamboo that the panda feeds on will go away and other animals will lose their food along with their habitat (Saving Red Pandas).

Diet

The habitat of the Red Panda has a variety of choices to eat in the bamboo forest (Red Panda, Smithsonian). Although the Red Panda has various food, it is also prey to another animal known as the snow leopard. The snow leopard hunts the Red Panda daily (Saving Red Pandas). Even though it's being hunted daily the Red Panda still has to eat. The Red Panda eats leaves, bamboo, fruit, insects, bird eggs, and sometimes lizards. The Red Panda catches its food by sneaking up on the insects and grabbing them with its paws. For the panda to get the bamboo it has to extract its claws and rip them off the bamboo tree (Red Panda, Smithsonian). The Red Panda hunts alone to protect themselves and catch prey. The Red Panda also uses its claws to carefully select and shear off the leaves it wants to eat. The Red Panda will sometimes eat the roots of the bamboo it eats. The Red Panda will also kill small birds and eat them along with their eggs (Where do Red Pandas Live). The Red Panda also does the same for the lizards it eats. Although the Red Pandas travel alone, the snow leopard tends to do the same when hunting for food. The Red Panda has many attributes to catch its prey as well. The Red Panda will use its claws to attack its prey. The Red Panda will use its tail to climb trees to grab the eggs of its prey. The panda has many ways to catch its prey and eat it (Marwell).

Reproduction

The Red Panda has four babies per year (Red Panda, National Geographic). The Red Panda has their babies in a nest made of sticks, grass, and mud. Each year, in June and July they have 2 babies each month (Red Panda, National Geographic). The reason the Red Panda reproduces is to expand their pack and let their bloodline continue. The Red Pandas begin reproduction in late winter. It takes about 100 to 150 days for the Red Panda to be ready for birth. When the Red Pandas reproduce monthly in the summer. The Red Panda reproduces in the summer to let its cubs be safe and warm (Red Panda, Smithsonian). If their cubs are cold and on their own then they will freeze and pass away. The Red Pandas spend 10-12 months with their parents for protection(Where do Red Pandas Live). The baby Red Panda spends weeks with their parents learning what they can do and how they can use it to their advantage. Once they learn how to use their abilities to their advantage they will go out on their own repeating the cycle over and over again(Where do Red Pandas Live). The parents of the red pandas go out on their own and continue with their lives. Once they are ready to pass they stay on they separate to stay on their own. (Red Panda, Smithsonian). The red panda reproduces annually and lets its offspring stay with them for 10-12 months. If the adult Red Pandas leave their offspring alone they will die, and they would already be extinct (Where do Red Pandas Live?).

Issues

Due to deforestation, the Red Panda is endangered. Deforestation causes bamboo forests to be cut down. The Red pandas, which live in the bamboo forests, rely on the bamboo for many things such as shelter, food, and protection. The bamboo forests help the Red Panda by protecting it from its predator, the snow leopard (Red Panda, Smithsonian). The Red Panda is facing an endangered level threat. Today the status of the Red Panda is endangered. The Red Panda is being protected in many countries. The Red Panda is still being poached, for its fur and its claws. Red Pandas are being kept in captivity for protection. Although they’re being protected many poachers often hunt them down (Red Pandas, National Geographic). In many countries, laws are made to protect the Red Panda from poachers. The Red Panda is often poached for its fur and its claws. The fur of the animal is used to make coats, while the claws of the Red Panda are used to make knives. Although it's being hunted by animals and humans alike, they're still surviving today (Saving Red Pandas). The Red Panda has to worry about many things, but due to laws, Animal Protection Services, and their instincts they’re surviving. Although they are being protected in the wild some people still have them being protected in man-made habitats. Although these animals are wild, and not trained they still have a way of communicating with humans (Saving Red Pandas). In the end, the Red Panda faces many dangers, but it still survives on its own with or without humans.

Preservation Plan

The Red Panda should be kept alive because it plays a crucial part in the food chain. As an Omnivore, the Red Panda has a lot to do with the food chain. The Red Panda food chain consists of them eating bamboo, then the Red Panda getting eating by its predator then it can also eat bugs (Red Panda, Smithsonian). If the Red Pandas are removed then the bug population would start to flourish, and the predators for the Red Pandas would start to die off causing more extinctions. The Bugs eat the grass which causes the plant life to start to disappear (Red Panda, National Geographic). Although the ecosystem relies on every animal, the Red Panda is still required in our ecosystems. Our ecosystem is like a Jenga tower, if we remove one piece from the tower the whole thing could fall apart, so removing the Red Panda could cause our entire ecosystem to fall apart. If we remove the whole ecosystem would fall apart with the remains being the plant and animals, the panda used to eat (Saving Red Pandas). Today, the Red Panda is being protected by laws and organizations. Although most countries illegalized poaching the Red Panda, some rich folk hire poachers to hunt the Red Panda, for its fur and its claws. Many poachers that are caught, face a 1000$ fine or a 10-year sentence (Where do Red Pandas Live). The Red Panda has in many ways been protected, but it is still facing dangers today.