The red panda's particularly steep forested terrain has long complicated studies of its lifestyle. In addition, its nocturnal habits and secretiveness make tracking individuals more complex. But in recent years, advances in field technology and interest in protecting the species by governments and NGOs have allowed researchers to make significant progress, shedding light on the red panda's secret life.
Red panda territory
Thanks to regular surveys of camera trap images and especially to the monitoring of individuals by GPS collars (CPPR newsletter spring 2022), it is now obvious and rather systematic that the red panda avoids any interaction with human infrastructure and activities.
It should be noted that most of the studies were carried out in eastern Nepal, in an area that is home to 25% of the country's red panda population.
So… How do they live in the wild?
Territory size varies depending on the quality of the forest: the denser and richer the forest, the smaller it is. Red pandas are solitary, yet a male's territory may overlap with that of one to four females, or sometimes a neighboring male. Outside of the breeding season, they only use a core living area, which represents about a quarter of their territory.
For females, the home range is half that of males, and they avoid crossing into the territories of other females.
Since these animals' diet of bamboo provides them with little energy, a red panda population must be dense to thrive. This avoids having to travel long distances and limits the risk of encounters with predators. It should be noted that the red panda's diet allows for the maintenance of bamboo groves by limiting their proliferation; it thus contributes to the good health of the forest.
Outside of the mating season, interactions between males and females occur but are infrequent. They appear to be fairly loyal to their territories, and move seasonally to higher altitudes to escape the high temperatures.
GPS tracking
Tracking him with a GPS collar, however, revealed that individuals can exhibit more specific behaviors. For example, one adult male nicknamed "Chintapu" had a more wandering nature than the others. He even surprised researchers at the Red Panda Network by traveling 5 kilometers in a single day!
Each new study teaches us a little more about the lifestyle of this ever more surprising little carnivore. Their presence in an environment is a strong indicator of the biodiversity present.
We now know that the restored forests in eastern Nepal in the red panda's territories have allowed a stabilization of populations but also the return of other species:
Community conservation programs in Nepal have already allowed nature to become lush again and thus offer its resources, now respected and sustainable. A wonderful life lesson and an example to perpetuate.
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