Red Pandas

Native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China and is related to raccoons , skunks and weasels. The head and body length of red pandas measures 50 to 64 cm , and their tail is 28 to 59 cm. Males weigh 8.2 to 14 lb and females weigh 6.6 to 13 lb. The red panda has strong, curved and sharp semi-retractile claws. Shortly after waking, red pandas clean their fur like a cat, licking their front paws and then rubbing their backs, stomachs and sides. They also rub their backs and bellies along the sides of trees or rocks.
Red pandas are excellent climbers, and forage largely in trees. They eat mostly bamboo and may eat small mammals, birds, eggs, blossoms, and berries. In captivity, they were observed to eat birds, blossoms, maple and mulberry leaves, and bark and fruits of maple, beech and mulberry. Red pandas are able to reproduce at around 18 months of age, and are fully mature at two to three years. Adults rarely interact in the wild except to mate. Both sexes may mate with more than one partner during the mating season from mid January to early March.