Which Indian state has this animal as the state animal?

Assam

Sikkim

Tripura

Nagaland

Answer: Sikkim

The state animal of Sikkim is the red panda – known to be one of the Earth’s living fossils as it has existed for over 10 million years. The creature is a small arboreal mammal found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern mountains of Myanmar and southern China.

The live in western Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling district of West Bengal and parts of Meghalaya.

Red pandas are identifiable by their reddish-brown coloured fur, white muzzles, and ringed tails. They are shy and quiet. Except while mating, these mammals are solitary animals.

They are an endangered species who are also found in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Red pandas have been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red list since 2015.

The global red panda population is estimated to be around 10,000, with poaching and the destruction of habitats threatening their existence even further.

Red pandas occupy a specialized habitat of temperate broadleaf forests and subalpine conifers, dominated by fir, Himalayan hemlock, oak, maple, rhododendron, juniper, and bamboo thickets.

Red pandas spend about 13 hours a day foraging and eating.

According to a study, the females eat about 20,000 bamboo leaves in a single day.

Red pandas are often killed when they get caught in traps that are set for other animals such as wild pigs and deer. Poaching is another reason for their endangered status as they are widely known from their distinctive pelts in China and Myanmar.