What do red pandas eat?
Red pandas are primarily herbivores. Like their giant brethren, red pandas feed off bamboo. They bend the shoots in order to reach their leaves. Although the pandas’ primary food sources are bamboo leaves, they also eat berries, nuts, and insects. Why Are Red Pandas Endangered? According to the WWF, red pandas are “highly endangered.” They were given this dubious distinction in 1988. Their habitat, like that of the giant panda, is shrinking due to deforestation. Bamboo forests in China and Nepal have been cut down so that the land may be put to agricultural uses. The plant is also used as timber for homes and firewood. Although these pandas are protected internationally and within Nepal, “over 75% of potential red panda habitat falls outside protected areas,” says the WWF. Some sources, such as the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, estimate that less than 2,500 red pandas remain in the wild. In addition to loss of habitat, red pandas must avoid predators. Although they have some na
