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A red panda or lesser panda (Ailurus fulgens) in the humid montane mixed forest in Labahe national nature reserve (Sichuan, China). Actually not a panda but related to raccoons and coatis, the Red panda used to live in broadleaf and mixed forests all along the Himalayas but has been hunted to local extinction in many areas. Its fur is prized for ceremonial local dress and the international fur market. In recent years numbers have recovered thanks to a wide hunting ban, reforestation programmes, increased areas for nature reserves and a government clampdown on illegal trade in wildlife species. (Photo by Staffan Widstrand/naturepl.com/LDY Agency)
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