Red Panda Updated: February 28, 2018

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1 Interpretation Guide Status Danger Threats Population Distribution Habitat Diet Size Longevity Social Family Units Red Panda Updated: February 28, 2018 SSP Green Endangered (IUCN Red List) Habitat loss Wild: The total population is difficult to determine. Captivity: 517 fulgens; 274 refulgens (2017-last report) Their range is in the bamboo forests of Nepal, Myanmar and southwestern China. Bamboo forest Wild: Primarily bamboo but they will also eat eggs, nuts, berries, and mice. Zoo Knoxville: Bamboo, Mazuri leafeater diet, panda gruel, fruit Length: inches, plus a tail of inches Weight: 8-14 pounds Wild: 13 years is average, but they can live up to 20 years. Captivity: Solitary except for during the breeding season Reproduction Gestation: 98 to 145 days. Number of young at birth: 1 to 4, usually 2. Age of maturity: 18 to 20 months Our Animals Degan Reid, Male, June 16, 2011 Gansu, Female, June 27, 2013 Lincoln, Male, July 26, 2013 Willie, Male, June 21, 2015 Scientific Name Order: Carnivora Family: Ailuridae Genus: Ailurus Species: fulgens fulgens

2 Additional Information Our Red Pandas Degan Reid Male Birth: June 16, 2011 Born at: Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, MI Origin: Mill Mountain Zoo, Roanoke, VA Gansu Female Birth: June 27, 2013 Born at: Detroit Zoological Society Origin: Brandywine Zoo, Wilmingnton, DE Lincoln Male Birth: July 26, 2013 Born at: Lincoln Children s Zoo, Lincoln, Neb. Origin: Same Willie Male Birth: June 21, 2015 Born at: Greenville Zoo, Greenville, S.C. Origin: Same Habitat Information Boyd Red Panda Village (opened 2007), just off the Main Plaza Status Danger Threats Population Wild: Population is difficult to determine because the bamboo forest is so dense it is hard to get a census. Captivity: Distribution Red pandas have a large range that extends from western Nepal to northern Myanmar. The species also lives throughout mountainous areas of southwestern China at elevations between 4,900 and 13,000 feet. Habitat Red pandas live mostly in cool, temperate forests with a shrubby understory dominated by thick bamboo. They prefer habitats with plenty of fallen logs, tree stumps, and fresh water. In part of India, red pandas live in a tropical forest.

3 Ecosystem Relationships Predators: Interspecies Competitors: Role/Niche: Diet Wild: Zoo Knoxville: Size Longevity Wild: Captivity: Social Family Units In the wild, the home range of one animal is about 1 square mile. In captivity, most breeding pairs live together year-round for enrichment. Reproduction Breeding season takes place from January through April. During this time, red pandas come together in small groups, and cubs and adults may engage in social play that includes lunging, wrestling, and biting. Like the giant panda, the red panda female is fertile for only 1 or 2 days a year, and there is a period of delayed implantation when the fertilized egg doesn t implant or develop right away, possibly to ensure that cubs are born in the summer when their chances for survival are best. Just a few days before giving birth, the expectant mother begins to build a birthing den in a hollow tree, stump, or rock crevice, lining it with twigs, leaves, grass, moss, and small branches. The young are born with thick buff and gray fur and with their eyes and ears tightly closed, so the protection of the den is very important. Mom keeps her cubs hidden in the den, and for their first 7 to 10 days, the cubs only activity is nursing. Hungry cubs get Mom s attention with high-pitched whistles. They usually begin opening their eyes and ears at 2 to 3 weeks of age and nurse until 13 to 22 weeks old. Their wooly gray hair changes to red at this time. The red panda mother shelters her young in tree hollows and regularly moves them to new dens, carrying her offspring in her mouth. By the time cubs are 40 to 50 days old, they are actively exploring the den, grooming, and playing. They begin chewing on bamboo twigs their mother brings to the den, although they won t regularly eat solid food until they are 4 months old. Cubs venture from the den when about 3 months old. There they will grow very slowly until they are ready to come out. One of the reasons they grow so slowly it that the mother's milk is not very nutrient rich, which is because of the bamboo diet. By 5 months of age they are almost as large as their mother. They mature in 18 to 20 months and are driven away by their mother at that time so she can get ready to raise her next litter. Males rarely help with raising the young. The soles of the newborn's feet are bare, but as an adult the feet are covered with hair to help the red panda climb on wet, slippery branches and walk on icy rocks or snow-covered ground. As the baby grows, its short, fat tail becomes beautifully ringed and grows to be almost as long as its body. This long tail helps the animal keep its balance in the trees. Animal Neighbors in the Wild Giant panda, takins, musk deer, leopards, and jackals Caring for Animals

4 Red pandas prefer to rest on elevated perches above the level of the viewing public, so the exhibit should provide a variety of climbing structures and resting perches at various locations and heights. The environment should include rocks, trees, pools, logs, clumps of vegetation, etc. These will provide both adequate shade and facilitate the animals' need to withdraw from the direct gaze of the general public at times. Public access should be restricted to 1, or at most 2, sides of the enclosure so that animals can retreat from public disturbance. A minimum of n+1 (number of red pandas plus one) nest boxes should be provided to allow hiding and sleeping choices for the animals within the enclosure. These should be constructed of insulated material and placed at different shaded locations in the enclosure so as to maintain a temperature not to exceed 75 F during hot weather. Some part of the enclosure is to be in shade throughout the day when temperature is above 75 F to provide animals relief from the heat of the sun. Keepers generally work in enclosures with red pandas, taking care to give the animals the opportunity to avoid them. Physical contact should be avoided as it may stress animals and can lead to aggression. Red pandas should be regarded with caution as they do have sharp claws and extremely strong jaws and will defend themselves and their young. Enrichment Successful enrichment techniques include variation of exhibit schedule or exhibit mates, rearranging of exhibit furniture/features, change of furniture (some of the old should always be retained to maintain the animal s scent and an element of the familiar), scents, sounds, toys (natural and artificial), herbs, spices, different substrates for digging/rolling, food items, and novel presentation of food items. Examples of enrichment activities include: Tree Top Treasure Hunt: various fruits scattered around the tree tops in the exhibit so the panda has to climb up and down to find the treasure Bamboo Chew: bamboo shoots placed around the exhibit with small amounts of fruit placed inside so the panda has to chew through the bamboo to get the fruit Hide and Seek: bury fruits underneath the vegetation for the pandas to find Behaviors Don't look for any red panda activity during the day: They usually move around at dawn and dusk, sleeping during the hottest part of the day. They begin their day by licking the front paws and then cleaning the fur all over the body in a catlike sitting posture in the tree. Red pandas "wash" their face with fore and hind paws. They use their tongues to "smell." With their bushy tail for balance, which can be as long as their body, and claws for gripping, red pandas are definitely acrobatic tree dwellers. Most of their time is spent in trees, and the red panda s cinnamon red coat, occasionally saddled with orange or yellow, and soft cream-colored face mask give great camouflage among the red moss and white lichen that cover the tree trunks of their bamboo forest homes. Below each eye is a band of color that varies from tan to red to black. The legs and belly shade to black in striking contrast to the red body, and the tail is fully furred and more-or-less banded, with rings, more pronounced on some individuals than on others. Trees are also used as a perch for sunbathing high in the forest canopy and give red pandas an escape route from predators such as snow leopards and dholes (pronounced "dole," a dog also known as the Asiatic wild dog, red dog, and whistling dog. It is about the size of a German shepherd). To descend, red pandas climb down headfirst, gripping the trunk with the hind claws. Communication/Vocalization Although largely solitary, red pandas exchange information using scent glands, visual cues including stare downs with head bobbing and a variety of calls. Red pandas are generally quiet, but at close proximity subtle vocalizations such as squeals, twitters, and huff-quacks can be heard. They may also

5 hiss or grunt. Young cubs use a whistle, which sounds like a loud scream, to signal distress. Red pandas that feel threatened make an ear-splitting, grumbly barking sound. Adults use high-frequency twitters and low-frequency bleats during breeding season. Other sounds include squeals, snorts, and audible exhales. Red pandas have several ways of marking their territories and home ranges. These include urine, secretions from anal glands, and scents from glands on the pads of their feet. They have also been known to use communal latrine sites to stake out territory and share information with others. In addition, red pandas often communicate using body language (such as head bobbing and tail arching). Conservation Efforts by Zoo Knoxville The exact size of Asia s red panda population is currently unknown, but zoos around the world have taken up the call to preserve the species. Zoo Knoxville and more than 80 other zoos currently have red pandas and almost all of them participate in a management program to ensure the survival of a viable zoo population. In North America, the red panda population management program is called the Red Panda Species Survival Program (SSP). Zoo Knoxville is a world leader in red panda breeding; as of August 2015, we have had 108 panda births to our credit. Red pandas (2 species*) are managed by 5 regional programs. The red pandas became 1 of the first species to be managed globally by a GSMP (Global Species Management Plan) in A GSMP does not mean the demise of regional management. In the case of the red panda, the impact on regional autonomy is minimal. Global management will continue as a loose cooperation between independent regional programs that occasionally exchange animals to improve viability. GSMP status puts this existing arrangement on a more formal footing. *The two recognized subspecies are fulgens and refulgens (previously designated as styani). Fulgens are found in the western part of the red panda s range, including India, Nepal and Myanmar. Refulgens are found in the eastern part of the range, primarily China. Did You Know? Red pandas are not related to the giant panda or raccoon. Red pandas are the only true panda giant pandas are members of the bear family. Red pandas are arboreal, have completely furred feet (to conserve energy), have scent glands on their feet, and can smell with their tongues. Red pandas share the giant panda s thumb, a modified wrist bone that is used to help grasp bamboo when feeding. In significantly cold temperatures, red pandas can become dormant, lowering their metabolic rate and raising it every few hours to wake up and look for food. This adaptation has allowed them to spend almost as little energy as a sloth, which is exceptionally beneficial considering the low nutrition content of their diet. Red pandas are the only living member of the family Ailuridae and not members of the raccoon family. The Chinese name for the red panda is "hun-ho," meaning "fire fox." Almost half of the red panda's total body length is its tail. In China, red pandas and giant pandas share the same habitat: bamboo forests.

6 Biofacts Biofacts may be available for this species. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator for more information. SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN (SSP) The Species Survival Plan (SSP) is AZA s cooperative breeding and conservation program. Members agree to manage and exchange animals in the best interest of the species. The mission is to help ensure the survival of selected wildlife species. All SSP Programs fall into one of three categories. Here are some characteristics of each: GREEN These programs are the most sustainable over time. They have a published regional studbook. The populations can maintain a genetic diversity of >90% for 100 years or 10+ generations. These species are managed by at least three AZA member institutions. YELLOW These programs are potentially sustainable but need additional attention to increase sustainability. They have a published regional studbook. There are at least 50 animals in each population. The populations are not able to maintain at least 90% genetic diversity for 100 years or 10+ generations. They are managed by at least three AZA member institutions. RED These programs are not currently genetically sustainable. Additional animals are needed. They have a published regional studbook. Current populations include between 20 and 50 individuals in each program. They are managed by at least three AZA member institutions. CANDIDATE (PURPLE) These are animal programs that hope to grow into an SSP program. There are generally 19 or fewer animals in each program and/or they are held at only one or two institutions. They do not currently have a published regional studbook. FINAL NOTE Animal programs that manage species designated Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, or Endangered (see IUCN organization next page) do not need to meet minimum population size and number of participating institutions criteria to be designated as an SSP Program. These SSP Programs need only to have a published AZA Regional Studbook and three defined goals. INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES (IUCN) For the past 50 years this organization has assessed the conservation status of species, subspecies, and varieties around the world. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List) provides information and analyses on the status, trends, and threats to species in order to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation. Some 79,800 species have been assessed; the organization s goal is to assess a total of 160,000 species by This includes vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fungi and other species groups. Much more information can be found at Assessed species are placed in one of nine categories, for which certain criteria must be met by a species to be placed in a specific category. This information is available on the website. These are brief descriptions: EXTINCT (EX): There is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW): Survivors exist only in cultivation, in captivity, or as a naturalized population well outside its native range. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR): The species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. ENDANGERED (EN): The species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. VULNERABLE (VU): The species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. NEAR THREATENED (NT): The species is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future. LEAST CONCERN (LC): The species does not meet any of the criteria for any of the endangered categories. There are widespread and abundant populations. DATA DEFICIENT (DD): Information is not sufficient to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of the risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status. NOT EVALUATED (NE): The species has not been evaluated against the criteria.