Today I thought I would share a few photos from the Virginia Zoo. It is a few hours drive south in Norfolk and these photos were taken in 2013.
One of the first stops was at the Red Panda enclosure. As we walked down the path we saw a couple over our heads. They were walking along a large tree trunk above the walking path. This one turned around and repeated the process several times. He attracted a lot of people.
They were very active climbing the trees and they put on quite a show.
My research online revealed that the Red Panda resemble raccoons and are about 42 inches long with a long, bushy tail. Their soft, dense fur covers their entire body, including the soles of their feet.
They use their long, bushy tails to help them balance when they are in the trees. They also cover themselves with their tails to keep warm in the winter, which is what snow leopards do as you can see from my post about them here.
Red Pandas live in the cool temperate bamboo forests in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces in China, the Himalayas and in Myanmar. They share part of their range with the Giant Pandas.
Red Pandas eat bamboo leaves, berries, blossoms and bird eggs, though they are mostly vegetarian.
They are also endangered due to habitat loss. There are fewer than 2,500 adult Red Pandas in the wild. (Please know that this post is from several years ago, and any statistics may have changed, hopefully for the better).
Red Pandas red and black colors camouflages them from their predators. The red on their backs is exactly the same color as moss found on the trees where they live. The black on their stomach makes it difficult to see from below.
Like Giant Pandas, Red Pandas have an extra 'thumb', which is an enlarged bone for grabbing bamboo stems and tree branches. Red Pandas claws are sharp and can be pulled back like a cat. They also do not have paw pads like many mammals. Red Pandas have fur covering the soles of their feet, which is believed to add extra insulation from the cold and help grip onto slippery, mossy branches.
I found my information and a lot more at this website.
I have a few photos of big cats from the zoo which I will share another time.
Thanks for looking and enjoy your day.
