In pictures: Sikkim's rare state animal Red Panda makes an appearance in its natural habitat

GANGTOK: In a very rare occurrence, Sikkim's State animal Red Panda was sighted in Dzuluk valley in its natural habitat this morning.

Dzuluk, one of the famous tourist destinations of Sikkim, is a small hamlet situated in the East district near the Indo-China border area.

Recently, a female red panda named as Yeshi gave birth to a cub on July 9 at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) in Darjeeling of West Bengal.

Also known as the lesser panda, red bear-cat, and red cat-bear, red pandas are found in the Eastern Himalayas and South-western China.

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The red pandas are highly territorial and live a solitary existence except during mating season.

Instantly recognisable by their red colouring (and cute face), long bushy tails (and cute face), and racoon like features (and cute face) they are excellent tree climbers and are able to descend trees head first.

Classified as endangered, there are fewer than 10,000 in the wild with the largest threats listed as poaching and loss of habitat. It’s estimated that there’s been a 40% decrease in numbers over the last 50 years alone.

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