panda-giant-panda-and-red-panda Photos

PANDA is an endangered species listed in the UNESCO world heritage.

With its cute looks, Panda (Giant Panda) is the world’s most beloved animal. It lives almost exclusively in the North and North-West of the Sichuan province of China, at high altitudes in the mountains, and its diet is 99% bamboo. The Panda is an endangered species which now has one of the highest protection statuses in the world. It is one of the few species whose very habitat is part of the UNESCO world heritage. As the result of the great effort to protect these animals, the number of existing specimens has been estimated at 2-3,000.

In the Panda’s natural habitat in the Sichuan province, researchers at the Panda Research Centre try to better understand the characteristics of the species, so as to improve its protection and conservation.

Researchers have been debating for almost a century whether the Panda (the Chinese name means cat-bear) belongs to the bears or ratoon family – or whether it is a different species.

The RED PANDA’s appearance is closer to the ratoon’s, which is different from the well-known black and white panda. The Red Panda’s natural habitat is a bit more extended. It lives in the temperate forests of Himalaya, at altitudes between 2,200-4,800 m, which includes the following countries: Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tibet and the Sichuan province in China. It is protected by law in all of the countries where it lives, but the number of living specimens is still continuing to decrease.