Distribution of Red Panda in Qionglai Mountains of Sichuan Province

From 2000 to 2002，we investigated the distribution of red panda in 11 counties in Qionglai Mountains of Sichuan Province. After surveys on 2 332 line transects, tracks of the species were found in 130 line transects (5.57%), which distributed in nine counties and concentrated in Wenchuan County and Chongzhou City. The area of red panda habitat amounted to approximately 5107.82 km2, in which Baoxing (34.08%), Wenchuan (30.65%) and Tianquan (16.61%) counties were larger than the others and counted for 81.34% of the total. The highest density was in the Anzihe Nature Reserve of Chongzhou City. In the seven reserves of Qionglai Mountains, the area of red panda’s habitat covered 2 166.84 km2 and was 42.4% of the total. The distribution of red panda in Qionglai Mountains was discrete and existed many gaps and fragmentation trend. Thus, the protection of red panda in Qionglai Mountains should be further enhanced.