Movement and dispersal of a habitat specialist in human-dominated landscapes: a case study of the red panda.

Abstract in brief

• Habitat specialists like red pandas are more affected by habitat fragmentation and human disturbances compared to generalist species, but there's limited research on their responses.
• The study tracked 10 red pandas in Nepal, revealing that males travel significantly farther daily than females, with activity patterns influenced by seasons and time of day, especially during dawn and morning hours.
• Red pandas tend to avoid roads and unsuitable areas, moving more directly when habitat connectivity is low, indicating their vulnerability to habitat loss and human impacts in human-dominated landscapes.]