Take a real-time look into the OKC Zoo’s red panda habitat!
RED PANDA FACTS:
Jaya is a 10-year-old female who has been at the OKC Zoo since 2011.
Though previously classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail, Red pandas are currently considered members of their own unique taxonomic family—the Ailuridae.
The red panda is listed as an endangered species. Only an estimated 10,000 remain in the wild, and their habitats in remote areas of the Himalayan Mountains, from Nepal to central China, are being threatened by deforestation, agriculture, cattle grazing and competition for resources.
Red pandas are great climbers and spend most of their lives in trees, even sleeping in branches.
In addition to a taste for bamboo, red pandas consume many other types of food including fruits, acorns, roots and eggs. Similar to giant pandas, red pandas have a prolonged wrist bone that functions almost like a thumb, allowing them to effectively grip.
Red pandas grow to be about the size of a typical house cat. Their bushy, ringed tails add about 18 inches to their length and serve as a type of blanket keeping them warm in cold mountain climates.
The Zoo participates in the Red Panda Species Survival Plan, developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) as a cooperative effort among AZA-accredited zoos throughout North America to help promote genetic diversity through species management.
AS YOU WATCH, BE IN THE KNOW...
I can’t see the red pandas. Where might they be?
Red pandas are skilled climbers! If you look closely, you may see one (or two) of our red pandas snacking or resting on a branch above.
They’re not in the trees. Where else could they be?
When temperatures are at or below freezing, the red pandas are provided with access to their indoor habitat. Check back in soon, though! Red pandas are more active in cooler temperatures.
All in a day’s work!
While watching, you may notice members of the Children’s Zoo care team in action as they clean, feed and care for our red pandas. You may even see an enrichment session, or two!
Why do the red pandas rub against various elements in their habitat?
This behavior is called scent marking. Because red pandas are a solitary species, they use their scent glands to mark their territory.