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Ailurus fulgens (Red panda)
Venue: Himalayan Zoological Park Gangtok, East Sikkim
Date: June 28, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan
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Ailurus fulgens (Red panda)
Venue: Himalayan Zoological Park Gangtok, East Sikkim
Date: June 28, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan
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Scientific
classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ailuridae
Genus: Ailurus
Species: A. fulgens
Binomial
name: Ailurus fulgens F. Cuvier, 1825
Other
Names: red panda, lesser panda and red cat-bear
Bhalu Biralo/ Habre (Nepali), Saknam (Lepcha) , Kaala (Limbu), ye
niglva ponva/wah donka (Sherpa)
Special feature: It
is native to the eastern Himalayas
and southwestern China that has been classified as vulnerable by IUCN as its
wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.
The red panda is the only living
species of the genus Ailurus and the family Ailuridae.
An anthropomorphic red panda was
featured as Master Shifu, the Kung Fu teacher, in the 2008 film Kung Fu Panda
and its 2011 sequel Kung Fu Panda 2.
Ailurus is adopted from the ancient
Greek word αἴλουρος (ailouros), meaning "cat".[53] The specific
epithet fulgens is Latin for "shining, bright".[54] Panda is the
French name for the Roman goddess of peace and travelers, who was called upon
before starting a difficult journey.(Source:
Wikipedia)