Vienna, Austria – Schönbrunn Zoo, the oldest zoo in the world, has welcomed a new female red panda to its enclosure as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. The nine-month-old animal arrived from Italy’s Parco Faunistico La Torbiera at the end of March.

“The female red panda made a relaxed impression from the start. After her arrival, she settled in quickly and was soon eating bamboo. Her coexistence with our male seems very harmonious. We naturally hope that the two will produce offspring in the future,” said Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck.

Visitors often need to look up to spot the new arrival. Like her male counterpart, she spends much of her time in the trees, climbing and resting with ease. “Red pandas are excellent climbers. Their sharp claws and furry soles give them a secure grip, while their bushy tails help them maintain their balance,” Hering-Hagenbeck explained.

Red pandas inhabit mountain and bamboo forests in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, where cold temperatures are common. Their dense fur allows them to cope well with Vienna’s current changeable spring weather.

“Males and females are easy to distinguish; the female has a significantly lighter facial pattern. Unfortunately, red pandas are considered critically endangered. Deforestation and poaching are primarily responsible for the decline of this species,” said Rupert Kainradl, MSc, curator at the Vienna Zoo.

Though they share a name with giant pandas, red pandas belong to their own family, the cat-bears, and are more closely related to raccoons and coatis.

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