Meet the Red Pandas of the San Diego Zoo

When you hear the word panda, what comes to mind? The giant black and white giants that munch on bamboo and appear to be the cuddliest and fluffiest members of the bear family. However, there’s another creature that shares the panda name, but is a far cry from what we picture. These little guys weigh between 6-15 pounds, and the only thing they share with their similarly named panda is that, they too, enjoy bamboo.

While these cute little animals reside in the mountainous regions of Asia, specifically Nepal, India, and China, there are fossils that indicate they may have existed in America millions of years ago. There is evidence that the red panda was actually discovered before it’s black and white counterpart by a French zoologist in the early 1800s. In China, the red panda is called hun-ho, which means Firefox, perhaps a more appropriate name considering their diminutive size when compared to the other panda.

However, their cuteness isn’t enough. These agile tree-dwellers’ numbers are diminishing really quickly outside of zoo populations. Due to deforestation, their numbers are hovering right around 10,000, which is less than stellar for a wild animal population. The red panda is also hunted for it’s beautiful red pelt, so many people think the numbers may be a lot smaller. However, the San Diego Zoo in California is working hard to bring the numbers back up for animals in their care.

Their History at the Zoo

The first four red pandas were brought to the zoo in 1940, and over the next fifteen years, caretakers recorded over thirty live births. However, breeding efforts have only been successful with the Western red panda and they’ve only been able to maintain their numbers, rather than steadily increasing them. The last litter was born in 2006.

Zoo caretakers and associations are helping to increase conservation efforts for this beautiful animal by providing awareness for zoo attendees. Visitors to the San Diego Zoo are able to witness the red panda in a carefully designed habitat that closely resembles their home territories. In doing so, they are able to shed light on how captivating and stunning these animals truly are, thus persuading people to dedicate their time to assisting with conservation. Their efforts are helping too, as parts of their habitats are now being preserved. The global aspect of the zoo sends ambassadors to help identify unprotected areas and educate the local communities about how to handle the populations. There are several areas of protection in India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan and the San Diego Zoo Global is working to increase these numbers.

While there is truly nothing as majestic as seeing a beautiful in it’s natural habitat, hunting and forest thinning are rapidly destroying this one’s chances at survival in the wild. Captivity in the San Diego Zoo has served these animals well, as it’s been proven that zoo life may provide additional longevity for these red-faced cuties. During your next visit to the beautiful San Diego area, be sure to stop in and check out Panda Canyon for an up close and personal view of the red panda.