Tilly our Red Panda and ‘Little Red’ her cub of one month old are vital parts in the conservation of the species and you can help by joining us for Red Panda Weekend from the 20th to the 21st of August 2022 and celebrating International Red Panda day on the 17th of September! Help us raise vital funds for our conservation partner Red Panda Network whilst enjoying a red panda family fun day out!
Red Panda’s are classed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as within the last 20 years we have seen the loss of over half the red panda species. This is due to the decline of habitats from human interference including deforestation. Here at Hertfordshire’s number one zoo – Paradise Wildlife Park, our red panda Tilly acts as an ambassador for her wild counterparts, helping to educate the public on the species. This is done through educational talks provided by our keepers daily at our red panda habitat as well as, awareness days throughout the year. Tilly is also an internet superstar who has gained love across the globe with her acrobatic antics and adorable character helping to spread awareness in the need of protecting red pandas.
A red panda’s natural habitat is in the mountain forests of the Himalayas, at high altitudes due to their arboreal nature with plenty of bamboo. Their diet consists of almost solely bamboo and can eat around 20,000 bamboo leaves a day. Red panda’s were discovered in 1825, 48 years prior to the more familiar known black and white pandas. Even though they are not related, they both hold the name of panda; a mispronunciation of the Nepalese word ‘Ponya’, which means ‘eater of bamboo’. However, due to the exploitation of forest resources and fragmentation, accessibility to bamboo and trees for arboreal living is becoming increasingly more scarce.
Tilly has played an important part in the survival of the species over the years, as she has reared two sets of twins here at the Park. This has aided in genetic diversity protection needed in captivity which acts as a safety net if the wild numbers become extinct. Tilly’s previous partner Nam Pang was much loved across the Park and unfortunately passed early on in life of natural causes. They were together in mating season of this year which leads to hope that there is still the possibility Tilly can produce offspring protecting Nam Pang’s genetics. This could be a possibility as red panda’s have the ability to hold impregnation until they are ready to breed.
Over the years we have worked with our conservation partner Red Panda Network who have been established for over 15 years and become a world leader in efforts to protect the species of red panda’s as well as their natural habitats. The team at Red Panda Network class themselves as guardians of the forest as they help the sustainable livelihoods of the local communities that surround the red panda forest biomes including teaching about the species and the ecosystem around them.
Red Panda Network continues to do incredible work and to date have protected over 1 million acres of forests, educated 23,000 students on red panda conservation each year and over 2,000 families are being supported by their sustainable livelihood programs. Through their work they have directly assisted in other conservation work with helping catalogue the first record of a bengal tiger in eastern Nepal, as well as camera traps capturing endangered species such as leopards, Marbled Cat and Himalayan Black Bears. Through education they wish to help spread awareness not only globally but with surrounding areas. Red Panda Network told us: ‘We also want to enhance awareness on red panda conservation in the local communities. Social surveys were conducted to understand the local perceptions on red panda conservation in the communities in and around the red panda habitat. Additionally, discussions were held to better inform the population about the importance of red panda conservation.’ With the hope that in the near future all communities will work as one to protect the species as well as the wider ecosystem vital for the natural world. Red Panda Network works solely through donations and through your help and support at the Park we would not be able to support their efforts as much as we do.
From Tilly and ‘little red’ the ambassador for her wild counterparts and the whole team here at Paradise we thank you for your support.
