# How Long Do Red Pandas Live?

> Wild red pandas often live about 8–14 years; logging, dogs and cub mortality cut the average. IUCN Endangered.

- **Species:** Red Panda (*Ailurus fulgens*)
- **Conservation status:** Endangered
- **Diet:** Omnivore (mostly bamboo)
- **Habitat:** Temperate Himalayan forest
- **Lifespan:** 8–14 years
- **Top speed:** Up to 38 km/h (24 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/red-panda/how-long-do-red-panda-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/red-panda/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The red panda is a small, tree-dwelling mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, with rust-red fur, a ringed bushy tail, and a face like a raccoon. About the size of a house cat, it feeds mainly on bamboo and is the only living member of its own family. Red pandas typically live 8 to 14 years and are listed as Endangered.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a prognosis for one named animal. This page is a species lifespan range.

## Not really a panda

Despite the name and a shared love of bamboo, the red panda is not closely related to the giant panda. It is the sole living species in its own family, Ailuridae, and is more closely related to raccoons, weasels, and skunks. It even has a 'false thumb', an extended wrist bone, for gripping bamboo.

## Help protect the Red Panda

Red pandas are endangered, with logging and fragmentation steadily eating into their Himalayan forest home.

[Donate to habitat protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/red-panda/how-long-do-red-panda-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.