The red panda lives in the mountains of China, but can also be found in the Himalayas. It is a herbivore and eats mostly bamboo, but also fruit, roots and acorns. The red panda spends 8 hours per day eating and has a sixth finger used to hold bamboo shoots in its paws. The red panda's tail is as long as its body and it uses it as both a pillow and a blanket when it gets cold!
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Today, there are less than 10,000 red pandas left in the wild. The first cause of their disappearance was deforestation. Humans have destroyed much of the red panda's natural habitat in pursuit of wood and gas.
The red panda is hunted for its fur but is also sought after as a pet. Many countries recognize that the species is threatened and certain countries, like China, have put in place special protected zones to ensure the survival of the species.
