The Long Complex Naming History of the Red Panda

An animated gray wolf named Walf explained in humorous terms the long and perplexingly complex naming history of the red panda. This varied nomenclature includes lesser panda, fire fox, Himalayan raccoon, bear-cat, and a name that sounds like it was made up.

The reason this video exists is because I recently started seeing people online refer to these critters as wahs. I thought that this was a more recent sort of thing…..But I was still curious, so I did some research. And as it turns out, red pandas were called wahs.

The red panda was known as just panda in English speaking areas, however when the giant panda came along, this little guy was relegated to lesser panda and then red panda.

So, in the first hundred years or so after its discovery, the red panda was referred to by multiple different names.The panda, the cat bear, the wah. But eventually, the giant panda grew in popularity and became the panda. And the lesser panda became commonly known as the red panda.

via Miss Cellania