International Red Panda Day (IRPD) is annually observed across the globe on the 3rd Saturday of September to raise awareness about the significance of the Red Panda, the 1st Panda, and the only endangered Panda.
- The day aims to educate people about the conservation of red pandas, and the threats they face in the wild, and encourage people to save them.
IRPD 2024 was observed on 21 September 2024.
- IRPD 2023 was observed on 16th September 2023 and IRPD 2025 will be observed on 20th September 2025.
Background:
i.The International Red Panda Day (IRPD) was launched in 2010 by the Red Panda Network (RPN), a non-profit organization, and the world leader in efforts to save red pandas and their habitat.
ii.The 1st IRPD was observed on 18th September 2010.
Note: The population of red pandas has declined by 50% in the last 20 years, and there are as few as 2,500 red pandas left in the wild.
About Red Panda:
i.Red Panda, also known as the “first panda” or “original panda,” is a unique small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas in Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), and southwestern China.
- They inhabit temperate broadleaved forests across those regions at altitudes between 2400 and 3900 meters.
ii.The red panda belongs to its own taxonomically unique family Ailuridae. They have also been called the “Firefox”, “Lesser panda”, and “Red-cat-bear”.
iii.The Red Pandas are listed as “Endangered” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
iv.In India, it is the state animal of Sikkim, and listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the red panda has the highest legal protection.
v.Habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal trade exploitation of forest resources, along with disease and climate change contributed to the rapid decline in the Red Panda population.
Species:
The 2 Red Panda Species are:
i.Ailurus fulgens fulgens: Found in Nepal and, northeastern India (West Bengal (WB), Sikkim, western Arunachal Pradesh (AR)), Bhutan, and southern Tibet. This was the first red panda to be discovered.
ii.Ailurus fulgens styani: Found in eastern AR, Myanmar, and parts of China. Styan’s panda is a bit larger and usually more brightly coloured than the Himalayan red panda.
Significance:
i.Frédéric Cuvier, a French zoologist, first described the red panda in 1825, a few decades before the giant panda was cataloged. The name ‘panda’ was first applied to it, and not to the larger black-and-white bear.
- Despite their name, Red Panda isn’t actually closely related to Giant Pandas (vulnerable).
ii.Red pandas have dense reddish-brown coats, a black belly, and a long fluffy tail, which is bushy with rings of red and buff or black.
iii.Red Pandas spend most of their time in trees (Arboreal) and spend 55% of their days sleeping.
iv.Red Pandas eat up to 20,000 leaves each day. 95%of the diet is Bamboo, and the other 5% includes eggs, berries, and insects.
v.Red Pandas are vital to the health of the eastern Himalayan forests, one of the most biodiverse places in the world.
2024 Events:
i.RPN organised the first-ever International Red Panda Trail Race on 21 September 2024 to mark the IRPD 2024.
- The race started from Phugling (Nepal) to the peak of Pathibhara with views of Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga, Kumbhakarna, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Makalu.
- The race covered a distance of 48 kilometers (km) with an elevation gain of 1,974 meters and a maximum elevation of 3,794 meters.
ii.An online Art Auction Event named the 2024 Red Panda Art Auction by RPN was also held from September 12-21, 2024.
About the Red Panda Network (RPN):
Executive Director (ED)- Ang Phuri Sherpa
Headquarters– Eugene, Oregon, the United States of America (USA) (International); and Kathmandu, Nepal (Asia)
Established in– 2007
