Red Panda

About Red Panda: 

• It is primarily an herbivore species.
• They use their long, bushy tails for balance and to cover themselves in winter, presumably for warmth. 
• It is a shy, solitary and arboreal animal and considered an indicator species for ecological change. 
• Appearance: It is the size of a house cat, the red panda is famous for its cute face and adorable defense stance.
• Distribution: It lives in the mountainous forests of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Almost 50% of their habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas.
• Threats: Red panda habitat is in decline. The loss of nesting trees and bamboo in the Eastern Himalayas—the location of almost 50% of the red panda’s habitat—is causing a decline in red panda populations across much of their range.
• Conservation status
• IUCN Red list: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• The Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I

Key facts about Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh.
• It conjoins Sessa Orchid Sanctuary to the northeast and Pakhui Tiger Reserve across the Kameng river to the east.
• It is situated in the biodiversity hotspot of Eastern Himalayas and home to over 500 bird species.
• Altitude ranges are extreme: from 500 metres (1,640 ft) to 3,250 metres (10,663 ft).

It is also a part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve.

Q1: What is an Indicator species?

These are living organisms which tell us that something has changed or is going to change in their environment. It can be easily observed, and studying them is considered a cost-effective way to predict changes in an ecosystem.

Source: Endangered Red Panda Spotted In Arunachal’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary