:quality(80))
Red panda
The red panda is a charismatic and tree‑dwelling mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwest China, living in cool montane forests rich in bamboo. With its reddish‑brown fur, white facial markings, and long ringed tail, it is one of the most instantly recognisable animals of the region. Despite sharing part of its name with the giant panda, it belongs to its own unique family, Ailuridae.
We have two female red pandas here at the zoo, Seren and Sundara. You can find them in their exhibit next to the yellow mongoose.
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Ailuridae
About the red panda
Red pandas are primarily herbivorous, feeding mostly on bamboo shoots and leaves, though they also eat fruit, roots, and the occasional insect. Their curved claws and flexible ankles help them climb with ease, and they spend much of their time in the forest canopy. Red pandas are mostly solitary, coming together only during the breeding season.
These mammals are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. They conserve energy by resting in tree hollows or branches during the day, using their bushy tail as a warm wrap in cooler mountain climates.
Conservation
Red pandas are classified as Endangered by the IUCN. Their fragmented range across the eastern Himalayas and southwest China is threatened by habitat loss, forest degradation, and poaching. Expanding agriculture, livestock grazing, and development reduce the bamboo forests they depend on for food and shelter. Poaching for the illegal pet and fur trade also impacts wild populations.
Global conservation efforts include EEP and SSP breeding programmes, habitat protection across the Himalayan region, and the creation of wildlife corridors to reconnect fragmented forests. Community‑based conservation projects in Nepal, India, and Bhutan also play a key role in supporting red panda recovery.