They live in the Himalayan states of Nepal and Bhutan as well as in Burma, parts of China and India. The population of the red panda has reduced by half in the past 18 years.
Only around 10.000 animals live in the wild.
People need space for fields and collect firewood and building materials. They get all of this from the forest. As a result, the habitat of the red pandas is disappearing and is increasingly being cut through by roads. This makes the exchange of different populations more and more difficult. It leads to inbreeding and a particular susceptibility to diseases.
The "Red Panda Network" has been trying to preserve the wild panda population in Nepal for many years. With the support of Görlitz Nature Conservation Zoo local people receive new, energy-efficient cooking facilities. The resulting reduction in wood consumption also reduces smoke that is harmful to human health.
Little pandas are in the shadow of their cute, black and white "big brother" and enjoy much less attention. The nature filmmaker Axel Gebauer wants to change this and has been dealing with the little bears for over twenty years. In the bamboo jungles of the Himalayas, he tracked down the "forgotten pandas" and accompanied them with the film camera.
