Red Pandas by Avian Rojas (Age: 13)

Red Pandas are one of the many endangered animals in the world. There are so many reasons that Red Pandas are going extinct. They are endangered because of habitat destruction and fragmentation. They also have problems with breeding so they aren't making as many babies. People are one of the main reasons why Red Pandas are endangered. Some people don't care if Red Pandas are going extinct. They hunt them as a sport or poach for their fur. Only around 2,500 Red Pandas remain in the wild.

Red Pandas are one of the cutest animals on the planet. They have red and white fur, and look very fluffy. Each one has its own pattern. Some people hunt for their fur. Red pandas also have whiskers that resemble a house cat. Sadly you can't adopt a Red Panda. Even though Red Pandas sound like giant pandas they are somewhat different from each other. The Red Panda's round ears resemble a bear's ears. Their tail is used to keep them warm when it is too cold. A Red Pandas' tail is orange and very fluffy. Red Pandas face also look like a raccoon's face.

Like Giant Pandas, Red Pandas love bamboo shoots and leaves. A Red Panda's diet consists of lots of bamboo and small birds, insects, and rodents. They eat 30 percent of their body weight and it is mostly bamboo shoots and leaves. They can eat about 20,000 bamboo leaves every day. Red pandas can be found in southwestern China. They have padded paws for walking in snow or in cold weather. They also have claws to climb trees. People have found fossils of Red Pandas in the forest in Asia. That means that they have lived for a very long time. Since Red Pandas lived for so long why did they start being endangered now?