There are only about 10000 red pandas left in the wild. They live in the high altitudes of Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar and China .The species is in decline for a multiple of reasons; the biggest ones being deforestation, limited food supply, poaching, and human encroachment. Another factor that leads to their decrease in population is cub mortality rates from inbreeding. Red pandas have very low genetic diversity. Currently the red pandas are listed as endangered on the IUCN list. Some legal protections are the convention of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora and schedule 1 of the Indian wild life protection act of 1972. There are also many protected areas that fall within the red pandas range. An issue with the protected wildlife areas is that there is not proper enforcement of those protected areas. Currently some areas around where the red pandas live are creating yak dung briquettes to stop cutting down bamboo for fuel and creating a better area for tourism to help bring in income. Â Any person found guilty of killing, buying or selling red pandas faces a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 10 years in jail. The red pandas population should be a priority for the habitat protection program because many endangered species live within their habitat. Red pandas are also an umbrella species meaning that their populations are used by scientists as a guide to how the overall area is doing.
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/714/110023718