Habitat and Range

Red pandas have a large range that extends from western Nepal to northern Myanmar.  The species also lives throughout mountainous areas of southwestern China (Yunnan, Sichuan and Xizang provinces) at elevations between 4,900 and 13,000 feet.

Red pandas only live in temperate forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.  The temperature in this region is generally cool, and there is little annual variation.  The southern slopes of the mountains trap the water from seasonal monsoons, supporting forests of firs, deciduous hardwoods, and rhododendrons.  A bamboo understory grows in these forests and provides the bulk of the red panda's diet.  However, these swaths of bamboo are only found in narrow bands throughout the red panda's range.  Thus, although red pandas are distributed across thousands of miles of territory, they are restricted to these small, fragile areas because of their dependence on the bamboo plants.

Source: Red Panda: The Fire Cat by Miles Roberts (ZooGoer 21(2), 1992).