Red Panda – Sikkim’s State Animal

This was the first time in my life that I got to see a Red Panda face to face. And it was at the Himalayan Zoological Park near Gangtok in Sikkim, India.

 
My first sight was that of a sleeping red panda inside its small home and hence a bad view, but then my luck changed soon as I approached the Red Panda Breeding centre inside the Himalayan Zoological Park.

 
Two Red Pandas could be seen. I am guessing one was a male and the other a female. But, I could not differentiate them.


Both of them seemed to be in a feeding frenzy and keeping biting into the green leaves and shrubs that lay around them.


I was totally mesmerized by these adorable creatures. Their reddish brown coats, thick fur and extremely cute looks totally captivated me. No wonder they are the state animal of Sikkim.


Such was my fancy of them that I kept staring at them for a good 20 minutes watching their every movement. I somehow managed to click some pictures and take a video during this mesmerized session.



After their feeding frenzy, they climbed onto some tree branches, seemed to be in a playful mood and then finally retired to somewhere deep amidst the green vegetation.