What is Project Red Panda?
It is an effort by the PNHZP to conserve this highly endangered
species, the Red Panda, in its natural habitat and also with the
aim of reintroducing them back to the wild if needed.
The sharp decline in the Red Panda population in the past, has
been caused by hunting; trapping and trading, habitat loss, disturbance
and fragmentation. Despite providing sufficient protection the
low Red Panda population, may be affected by genetic problem.
It is in danger of becoming extinct in certain forest patches.
PNHZP has initiated action through captive breeding, research
and education.
Evolutionary Convergence
It seems surprising that in spite of being the nearest relative
of the North American racoons, the Red Panda possesses more behavioural
and anatomical similarities with the Giant Panda which belongs
to a different family. For many years these Pandas fooled scientists
who thought, these were the closest relatives. May be they actually
are! The scientist community is still divided whether the animal
belongs to Procyanidae (family of racoon) or to Aluridae (a separate
family of Red Panda). In fact the development of similarities
of these fairly distantly related 'cousins' is considered a superb
example of evolutionary convergence.
These Pandas have developed common features to face the similar
problems in their habitats. For example, both these carnivores
have specialised to live on bamboo, which consists of about 90%
of their diet. They are still grouped in carnivores because they
retain the canine teeth of their ancestors. But unlike the Giant
Panda, the Red Panda spends much of its time up trees.
The Red Panda seems very interesting and peculiar in many respects.
Though adapted to bamboo feeding, unlike herbivores, it can not
digest bamboo leaves properly and only 20% of the total diet is
utilised to maintain the body temperature. It is really astonishing,
how does the animal thrive in the colder climate with so low energy
intake!
The Red Panda is an inoffensive, docile wild animal. It has a
poor eye sight and the senses of smell and hearing are also not
very highly developed. It is one of the very few mammals in the
world that have dark soles of their feet covered with hair. It
is an excellent tree climber and except for foraging and searching
for its food, the Red Panda ,spends its time roosting in the trees.
The Red Panda is almost wholly vegetarian in diet. Its diet consists
mainly of fresh bamboo leaves; but it sometimes also takes insects
and fruits. As dusk falls the Panda descends from its sleeping
quarters in the trees and moves about in the undergrowth, foraging
for food. Daybreak signals to it the time to go to sleep. For
this reason it is not easily seen by the visitors to the panda
forests. The calls of Red Panda consist of low squeaks and chirps.
But when threatened, it stands up on its hind legs and raises
its forelimbs to defend itself., at such times it emits coarse,
gutty barks. Under stress, the Red Panda sometimes emits a strong
odour.
The Red Panda is found in the forests of the Eastern Himalayas
where there is dense bamboo, between altitudes of 1,500 to 4,000
m. Its evolution is intimately associated with the geological
development, about 3 million years ago during the final rise of
the Himalayan Mountain Range, when the Brahmaputra River cuts
deep gorges through these mountain dividing the Red Panda population
into Indian and Cinese races. Since then, this animal has been
evolving in two separate sub-species :
Ailurus fulgens fulgens (found from the Eastern Nepal, through
North Eastern India and into Bhutan) and Ailurus fulgens styani
(found in China and Burma). The Indian race occupies a highly
specialised region where several zoo geographical region or sub-regions
converge.
Why PNHZP has taken the initiative for consevation of Red Panda?
| 1. |
PNHZP is ideally situated in the proximity of
natural habitat of the Red Panda. |
| 2. |
In the vicinity of the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens
fulgens) habitat, there is no other captive breeding facility
available. |
| 3. |
PNHZP has had success in breeding the red panda
in captivity. |
| 4. |
Sufficient protected habitat still exists in
Darjeeling. |
| 5. |
PNHZP has already started a co-ordinated captive
breeding programme in co-operation with Zoos around the world. |
Some History of the Red Panda
The first Panda known to the west was a Red Panda from India in
1821 and the first European to see a panda was a Danish botanist,
Nathanel Wallich, from East India Company.
The first man to publish about a Panda was a French Zoologist,
Frederic Cuvier in 1825. He gave the scientific name Ailurus (cat
like) and fulgens (brilliant colours).
The first specimen to have arrived in a Zoological collection
outside its native land was acquired by London Zoo on 22nd May
1869. It was collected from Darjeeling.
The first record of captive breeding was in 1908 in Darjeeling
and then in 1908 in Darjeeling and then in 1919 in Calcutta and
London.
