PANDA, LESSER

or cat bear or bear cat

Long-tailed nocturnal raccoonlike carnivore ( Ailurus fulgens , family Procyonidae) that inhabits high mountain forests in the Himalayas and adjacent eastern Asia.

It is 20–26 in. (50–65 cm) long, excluding the 12–20-in. (30–50-cm) bushy, faintly ringed tail. It weighs 6–10 lbs (3–4.5 kg) and has soft, thick, reddish brown fur. The face is white, with a red-brown stripe from the eyes to the mouth. It eats plants, especially bamboo, and fruits and insects. Though an agile climber, it mostly feeds while on the ground.