An overview of the threats to red pandas posed by domestic and international trade

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of threats to red pandas posed by domestic and international trade. Traditionally red pandas have been captured alive and traded for zoo exhibitions – they are also trapped for their fur, which was traded for making clothing, hats and rugs. Since 1995 all international commercial trade in the species and its parts has become strictly prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Specific wildlife trade research focusing on demand for, and trade in, red pandas only began in the later 2010s, revealing low levels of domestic trade in almost all range countries and some continued international trade at a very low scale, including for fur and live animals. However, given recent findings of two extant red panda species and predicted population bottleneck developments, even continued low-level domestic and international demand and trade in red pandas could have detrimental effects on extant wild populations. Thus regular systematic trade monitoring should be carried out. Domestic registration of live red pandas and red panda products coupled with enhanced intra and intergovernment wildlife law enforcement collaboration, with a particular emphasis towards the trade online and the demand by zoos and safari parks are recommended.