Red Pandas can swim.
In fact Red Pandas are excellent swimmers and are good at escaping when in captivity.
The red panda loves to climb, can swim and can easily escape.
A red panda is called a red panda because of it's similarity in looks to other pandas.
The other reason red pandas are called red pandas is because of their color although the red panda is more of an orange color than red the red panda gets it's name because of the color of it's fur.
The red pandas name is also because of the similarities the two species shared, like eating bamboo.
Red Pandas are also called Ailurus fulgens which means red shining cat.
So if you see a red panda you also see a Ailurus fulgens.
The real name for the red panda is indeed Ailurus fulgens but it's easier to say red panda and easier to remember them as red pandas as well.