“The most beautiful creature I have ever seen.” This was French zoologist Frederic Cuvier’s first reaction to the red panda – and we certainly can’t disagree! Even though they are incredibly cute, there is a lot more to this species than their appearance.

Also referred to as the lesser panda, bearcat, and Himalayan raccoon – red pandas are actually not related to the giant panda, bears or raccoons. Instead, they’re classified in their own taxonomic family, Ailuride.

Here at the Zoo, we have two of our very own red pandas: Rusty, a 16-year-old male and Sha-Lei, a 12-year-old female. Rusty weighs in at 17 lbs while Sha-Lei comes in at just under 20 lbs. The pair have fresh helpings of bamboo every morning and afternoon - a main staple in their species’ diet. Like their bamboo-loving friends the giant panda, the red panda was discovered 50 years before the giant panda bear was. The word panda is believed to have originated from the Nepali word “Ponya” which means plant or bamboo eating-animal. Much like their wild counterparts, Rusty and Sha-lei love eating fresh figs, grapes, bananas, apples, and other fruit. These beautiful animals have a bit of a sweet tooth!

Zookeeper Heather has been with the zoo for 22 years and is one of the red panda’s primary keepers; she also cares for our harbor seal, red wolves and eagles, just to name a few. For enrichment, Heather and other keepers utilize a wide variety of activities and foods that the red pandas can play with. “Since they don’t possess prehensile (grasping) hands like primates, they’re unable to manipulate objects as easily and instead are often given simpler activities such as food in a paper bag, an open pumpkin and bamboo hidden in different places that they can climb to,” said Heather.

Another form of enrichment that they enjoy from time to time is the use of different perfumes around their exhibit. Scent enrichment encourages them to explore and investigate their surroundings, exposing them to new and potentially exciting fragrances.

Red pandas also love the winter and snow and are perfectly adapted for cold climates. Native to the temperate Himalayan mountains, they have thick fur with a woolly undercoat to help combat the winter chill. So, if you’re a big fan of the red panda now is the best time of year to see them!

Unfortunately, much like many of earth’s beautiful animals, the red panda has become severely endangered, and its population has been decimated by 50% in the last 20 years. Rapid human population growth and development projects such as mining and agriculture, are destroying their habitat, sources of food,

and causing direct physical harm to red pandas themselves. Estimates of the red panda’s population put its somewhere between 2,500 to 10,000 left in the wild. Organizations such as the Red Panda Network are committed to educating local people in Nepal and around the world on the importance of conserving this beautiful species, as well as utilizing trained employees whose sole purpose is to protect red pandas.

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums also has a comprehensive program designed to help endangered species through its Species Survival Plan program. This program identifies

species in need ofcare, preservation, andworks with AZA-accreditedinstitutions like your Roger WilliamsPark Zoo to develop breeding and transfer plans to help ensurea healthy and genetically diverse population within the AZAcommunity. We are hopeful that with continued help fromorganizations like the Red Panda Network and AZA-accreditedZoos, together we can ensure the survival of this essentialspecies and ensure it is not forgotten.

When threatened, these bushy-tailed pandas will either try to run or if they cannot, they will stand on their hind legs to make themselves appear larger and more intimidating.