Endangered Animal: Red Panda from Recycled Material
[ About Red Pandas ]
Common Name: Red Panda
Scientific Name: Ailurus fulgens
Diet: Herbivore (95% of it is bamboo — feeds selectively on the most nutritious leaf tips and, when available, tender shoots)
Average Life Span: 8 Years, but may live as long as 23 years
Size: 20–26 inches, and it’s tail is 12–20 inches
Weight: 12–20 pounds
[ A Red Panda’s Habitat ]
The red panda lives in high-altitude, temperate forests located across China, India, Myanmar, Tibet and Nepal as shown in the map below. Ailurus fulgens fulgens lives predominantly in Nepal and can also be found in India and Bhutan. Ailurus fulgens styani (or Ailurus fulgens refulgens) is primarily found in China and Myanmar. Almost 50% of the red panda’s habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas.
[ Conservation Status ]
According to the IUCN, it is estimated that there are only around 10, 000 red pandas left in the world, and there has been a decline of 40% in the past 50 years. Another claim by the Red Panda Network states that the red panda population has declined by 50% in 20 years, and there could be few as 2500 remaining in the wild.
[ Threats ]
- Loss of Habitat
- Deforestation
- Poachers
- Illegal Trade
According to the Red Panda Network, habitat loss is the #1 threat to red pandas. With this decline, it is becoming more difficult for this animal to find enough bamboo to feed on as its habitat keeps shrinking. The more people move into the red panda’s area, the more forests are being cleared out for housing and commercial development, as well as farming and mining. The habitat is also degraded because of commercial logging.
Red pandas also face threats from hunting, poaching and illegal pet trade. The IUCN reports that illegal poaching and smuggling appears to be increasing, as hunters take the animals for their distinctive pelt and meat. The WWF says red panda fur hats have been found for sale in Bhutan. Also, according to BBC the mammal is illegally hunted for its fur in southwest China, especially for its highly valued bushy tail that produce hats that are “good-luck charm” hats used as a tradition by Chinese newlyweds. Some hunters who work in the wildlife also trade captured red pandas and sell them as illegal pets.
Furthermore, according to lead researcher Yibo Hu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, it is determined that the Himalayan red pandas are especially in dire need for protection. Currently, red pandas are also the ONLY living member of the family Ailuridae.
[ Physical Traits and Ancestry]
The red panda’s size is somewhat larger than a domestic cat, with a bear-like build with thick fur. A red panda’s belly and limbs are a dark brown-black color. A red panda also has unique white striped markings on its tail and tear -shaped markings on its face. A red panda also has a long furry tail that is used for balance and warmth. There are two species of red pandas, the Chinese red panda that have redder fur and striped tails rings. The other is the Himalayan red panda that have whiter faces. The red panda is thought to be more similar to a raccoon than a bear because of features like it’s striped tail.
[Process]
[Recycled Material]
First, I worked on collecting a variety of recycled material over the course of a week from plastics, paper, cardboard boxes, cans, … etc. After collecting the material, I laid it out on the floor in order to arrange and assort them according to similarity and color.
It was surprising to see how much trash could accumulate within about a week. Most of my trash was paper bags that come from food orders or online shopping. That is also the case with the plastics and aluminum material. They are mostly from snacks and soft drink cans. I also had a lot of used face masks and tissues (that have increased in consumption because of COVID-19).
[Inspiration]
I wanted to create a model that would make it easy to recognize the animal like a drawing, but also had depth and life to it. I tried searching for artwork similar to my vision, and found several ideas for layered paper art. Below are some examples of how i envisioned making my red panda model.
I also wanted to use paper and plastic material because they mostly contribute to deforestation (cutting down trees to create paper-based products) and pollution (plastics are one of the main factors that pollute the environment), which are one of the main threats for Red Pandas.
[ Brainstorming and Sketching ]
I started with a small sketch of a red panda in my notebook, while trying to figure out all the different layering and pieces that need to be cut out for the face and body parts.
[ Building the Model ]
I first sketched out a Red Panda on a piece of transparent hard plastic that I will later use like a stencil to make cut-outs on the cardboard materials. I made two copies of these plastic stencils. One with the entire body, which is used as the frame of the model. The other plastic stencil was cut out into the smaller pieces that would be used for the smaller parts of the Red Panda model.
I then started cutting out the main body parts on cardboard pieces, while using tissue as the stuffing between the cardboard pieces. I slowly layered the tissues so that they would create the different depths of the model. When I ran out of tissue for the head part, I instead used plastic and cardboard paper.I also tried to angle some parts like the face and the tail, so that it could give more of a dynamic pop-out effect.
Finally, I used colored plastic pieces to wrap the cardboards with, and added the final details of the nose and eyes using a black marker.
Dark Red Material: MUJI Shopping Bag
Red Material: Urban Outfitter Package
Orange Material: Cheetos Bag
Darker Orange Material: Reese’s Plastic Bag
White Material: Plastic Wrap on a Storage Box Product
Black: Marker
[Final Result]
[ How You Can Help]
Through the Red Panda Network you can help make a donation to support community-based research, education, habitat protection and restoration, anti-poaching and sustainable livelihood programs. You can also symbolically adopt a red panda to help in the conservation of red pandas and many other unique and threatened species including clouded leopards and Himalayan black bears.
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