Report: Demand for red panda products still persists in China

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Demand for products made from endangered red panda fur still persists on a low-scale in both physical and online markets in China, a report claimed.

Red pandas are native to temperate forests in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC maintained that there is still low-level demand for the animals as pets and for their furs and breeding purposes, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

The survey was carried out from April to May last year in the physical markets in the red panda hotspot trade zone of Tianquan, Kangding, Luding, Yuexi, Xide, Mianning, Xichuang, Lijiang, and Shangri-la, all in southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

“Red panda products were only found in one location, namely a shop at the Peak of Yulong Snow Mountain in Lijiang, Yunnan Province,” the report maintained.

Surveyors found several red panda pelt hats were available, along with traditional clothing of the region, for visitors to put on and be photographed in. “These pelt hats were also available for purchase, at 30,000 yuan (4,705 US dollars) each. The trader claimed the hats were obtained 30-40 years previously,” surveyors said.

TRAFFIC also sifted through 36 Chinese-language e-commerce forums and wholesale platforms, but found only two incidences of trade in red panda products. “China’s strengthened law enforcement has resulted in the low availability of illicit red panda products in the market,” said Zhou Fei, Head of TRAFFIC’s China office.

Demand for red panda fur has decimated their population to barely 14,500–15,000 individuals globally. According to previous research, the highest number of red pandas – between 6,000–7,000 – reside in China.

About 3,000–3,400 of them live in Sichuan Province, roughly half of the Chinese red panda population at 1,600–2,000 reside in Yunnan Province and a further 1,400–1,600 in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

In 2015, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the red panda to an endangered species. Authorities were concerned about the rate of the mammal's declining population at over 50 percent in the last two decades. IUCN also expressed worry over the high probability of the mammal’s decline in next 18 years.

In 1989, China’s Wild Animal Protection Law listed the red panda as a national second-class protected species, prohibiting the sale and purchase of the red panda and its products. However, the current market dynamics and demand for red panda products in China is unknown.

In a bid to protect the red panda from extinction, the Chinese government has declared it a national second-class protected species under China’s Wild Animal Protection Law. “TRAFFIC will stand ready to support enforcement authorities in China to increase furthering their efforts in detecting and deterring illegal trade in red pandas,” Zhou Fei said.

Wildlife experts claim habitat loss, poaching and trafficking are significant threats to the survival of the animal. Indigenous people from Tibet Autonomous Region – the Yi ethnic minority group – use red panda hides for hats and coats.

TRAFF suggests similar surveys should also be conducted in other red panda range countries, including Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Myanmar to get an overall understanding of the market dynamics and analysis of trade routes.

Xu Ling, a senior manager at TRAFFIC's China office told CGTN that they would work with authorities and other countries to better assess the situation.

"TRAFFIC will consult with CITES authorities of China, the US and Germany to check the discrepancies of import and export data of red panda products. This will help us identify the reasons behind them and improve reporting protocols."