Red panda

At the Detroit Zoo
Female Ta-shi came to the Detroit Zoo in 2008 and male Shifu arrived in 2012.  These adorable mammals can be found hanging from tree branches and lounging on limbs in their wooded habitat across from the tigers.

Description

As its name suggests, the red panda's fur is mostly a rusty-red color. It has white markings on its ears, cheeks, muzzle and above its eyes. Its bushy tail is ringed with light and dark variations of the rusty-red color. Its fur also covers the soles of its feet to help give it traction and prevent it from falling off slippery, wet branches.

Scientific name: Ailurus fulgens fulgens
Continent: Asia
Habitat: Dense forests in the mountains of Nepal, northern Myanmar and central China
Size: 2 feet long (not including the tail); the tail can be 2 feet long
Weight: 12-20 pounds
Diet: Red pandas are omnivores and eat bamboo, roots, acorns, fruit, eggs, mice and birds.
Reproduction: Gestation 135 days; litter of two to four cubs
Lifespan: 10 years
Conservation Status: Vulnerable

FUN FACTS

The red panda, like the giant panda, has an extended wrist bone that acts like a thumb and allows it to easily hold onto bamboo.

In the past, the red panda has been classified as a relative to the raccoon and the giant panda. Now, it is listed as its own scientific family – the Ailuridae.