Is a red panda really a panda?

Although they share the same name, a red panda isn’t related to the black and white species of panda! Many years ago, experts classified the red panda as a relative of the panda because they share a habitat. But they later were classified as a type of raccoon because of the rings on their tail. It wasn’t until 2000 that scientists decided that red pandas are so special that they should have their own classification: a mammal family called Ailuridae. (Pandas are in the mammal family Ailuropoda melanoleuca). But if red pandas are mostly related to any animal, experts agree it would be skunks and raccoons!