A Gentle Creature

Mei-lin, a five-year-old female red panda photographed at the Prospect Park Zoo. 

Though they resemble raccoons, red pandas are in fact closely related to giant pandas.

Restricted to the Himalayan region of central Asia, red pandas are secretive and gentle creatures, spending most of the day sleeping curled up with their tail wrapped around their head.  By night, they forage for bamboo - their main food source. 

The IUCN classifies red pandas as Endangered.  Habitat loss is thought to be the major reason for their decline in the wild.

• The Threatened Red Panda
• Images: Expedition Everest - Red Panda