red panda

Definition of red panda

: a small, largely arboreal mammal (Ailurus fulgens of the family Ailuridae) that resembles the American raccoon, that is found from the Himalayas to China, and that has long rusty or chestnut fur with dark underparts, a long bushy tail with rings, and a white face and inner ears with a dark stripe from the corners of the eyes to the lower jaw

— called also lesser panda

Note: The red panda feeds mostly on bamboo, roots, grass, leaves, fruit, acorns, eggs, insects, and small animals (such as birds). It was formerly considered a relative of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) but is now considered more closely related to the raccoons, skunks, and weasels.

Examples of red panda in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Oregon Zoo welcomed a second red panda this week — a 7-year-old named Moshu, who will be reunited with one of his old friends. — oregonlive, "Red pandas reunited at the Oregon Zoo," 19 Nov. 2019 In the wild, red pandas are found in the mountains of Nepal, northern Myanmar and central China. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Milwaukee zoo visitors get first glimpse of red panda cub," 20 Sep. 2019 Researchers estimate there are fewer than 2,500 adult red pandas in the wild. — chicagotribune.com, "Milwaukee zoo visitors get first glimpse of red panda cub," 20 Sep. 2019 The zoo recently added toucans, a spider monkey and the popular red pandas. — USA TODAY, "Tubing, Hemingway, great white sharks: News from around our 50 states," 21 July 2019 First time mom Kate is doing a great job taking care of the red panda trio, according to the zoo. — Georgia Slater, PEOPLE.com, "Rare Red Panda Triplets Born at Kansas City Zoo," 7 Aug. 2019 The cub's sister, Dr. Lily, was the first red panda to be born at the Milwaukee County Zoo. — Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The Milwaukee County Zoo announced the birth of another adorable red panda," 24 July 2019 The red panda is at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal. — Washington Post, "Suspect sought in attack on deaf woman," 31 Aug. 2019 The cubs were among quadruplets born last Wednesday to Ember, a 9-year-old red panda. — USA TODAY, "Titanic auction, Legos, mighty Mississippi: News from around our 50 states," 22 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'red panda.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

26 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Red panda.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20panda. Accessed 6 December 2019.

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