What is the future of the red panda species?
Red Pandas are classified as endangered. No exact numbers exist for the total population but it is extremely threatened because of the fragmentation of its natural habitats, their small numbers, and their food specialization needs. Human encroachment on the Red Panda has caused habitat loss by deforestation, grazing, and farming. In South West China the Red Panda is hunted for its fur and also for its highly-valued bushy tail from which hats can be made. Another reason the Red Panda is endangered is due to the continuous clearing of the forests has significantly reduced the population. It is now protected in all countries in which it lives, and the hunting of Red Pandas is illegal everywhere. Nevertheless, poaching continues and they are often illegally hunted and sold to zoos for dumping prices. One can assume that the Red Panda cannot bear much more of a habitat change and that they are in danger of extinction due to the disappearance of the forests and hunting for their highly-value
