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According to a new report from The New York Times (NYT), the cutest animal on the planet is in serious trouble -- the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that there are only 10,000 red pandas left in the wild, and the organization has listed them as "vulnerable," which is just one step below "endangered."

Now, some scientists are trying to get them moved up to "endangered" list ASAP. According to the NYT report, this is why: