Despite its name, the red panda is not related to the giant panda. It is more closely related to racoons. However, both the red and giant panda are native to China, eat mainly bamboo and have a wrist bone which can be used as a thumb.

Red pandas are found in the Himalayan mountains. The trees are often covered in red moss, so their red fur camouflages them against predators. Red pandas can rotate their ankles to act like a set of brakes when climbing down trees head first, and their long tail helps them balance.

Bamboo is very low in nutrients, which results in a low-activity lifestyle. They spend most of the day resting in trees and are usually active during the early morning and dusk.

Red pandas are usually solitary, except during the mating season. Females give birth to between one and four young in a nest and care for them for around 90 days. Males usually have no involvement with raising young. Red pandas are now threatened due to habitat loss and poaching