Red panda

Asian animals

Predators

The red panda has many nicknames, including little panda, cat bear and firefox. It was previously considered to be a member of the half-bear family, which includes raccoons, but is now considered to belong to its own family, Ailuridae. Although the red panda is systematically a carnivore, it eats mostly plants. 98% of its diet consists of bamboo, but it also eats fruit, roots, grass, acorns, lichen, bird eggs and insects. It can eat up to 20 000 bamboo leaves a day. As bamboo is very poor in nutrients, the panda spends a lot of time in silence. The red panda has very sharp claws and is a great climber.

There are two different subspecies of the red panda, and the one living at Parken Zoo is the one most commonly found in zoos. Both subspecies have declined drastically in numbers, estimated at around 40% over the last 50 years, and today the species is protected in most of its range. In the past, the red panda was hunted for its fur, but today the main threat is deforestation. The zoo participates in the European Breeding Programme (EEP) to conserve the species.

CITES A

In situ - Conservation in place

Conserving endangered species, and preventing them from becoming extinct, requires efforts at several points in the chain. In the zoo, we can contribute with breeding and research to create a gene bank, while learning more about the species' behaviours and needs. Conservation work in zoos is called ex-situ, which means that the work is carried out outside the species' home range. Conservation measures are also taken in-situ, i.e. in the area where the species lives or has lived in the past. We at Parken Zoo contribute to several such projects, for example Red Panda Network.

The project works to protect and conserve the wild red pandas and their habitat through education and empowerment of local communities. The Himalayan panda habitat is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. It is home to many unique and endangered species including snow leopards, tree leopards, Asiatic wild dogs and red pandas.

The red panda has been identified as an indicator and umbrella species in this ecoregion. Since 2007, RPN has been working to protect the area and has also successfully expanded the programme to central and western Nepal and Bhutan. Going forward, the RPN will duplicate efforts in all countries in the red panda range, including India, China and Myanmar.

If you also want to contribute, or read more, visit redpandanetwok.org