Red Panda
AILURUS FULGENS
ZooMontana is unique in the fact that we are one of just a few facilities to house both subspecies of Red Pandas. The styani, such as Pabu and Mei Mei, are a bit larger, with a deeper maroon coloration.
Red pandas prefer bamboo and will only eat the the youngest, most tender shoots and leaves. They eat many other foods as well, including fruit, acorns, roots, and eggs.
In the past, the red panda has been classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail. Currently, red pandas are considered members of their own unique family—the Ailuridae.
Their range extends from western Nepal to northern Myanmar. They also live throughout mountainous areas of southwestern China at elevations between 4,900 and 13,000 feet. Thick fur covers their entire body, including the soles of their feet, and they will use their tails as wraparound blankets to retain body heat in cold temperatures.
These animals spend most of their lives in trees and even sleep aloft. When foraging, they are most active at night as well as in the hours of dusk and dawn.
- Height: Head and body, 20 to 26 in (50 to 65 cm); Tail, 12 to 20 in (30 to 50 cm)
- Weight: 12 to 20 lbs (5.4 to 9 kg)
- Lifespan: About 8 years in the wild.
Click HERE for a Red Panda Activity Sheet!
Our Current Residents
Duli: Male, Born 2012
Duli joined the group in the winter of 2015 and is our young and feisty red panda. He came from The Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska.
Pabu - "The Prince of Pounce": Male, Born 2020
Pabu joined ZooMontana in late winter of 2021. He was born at the Oregon Zoo and accompanied his mother when she moved to Montana. Due to soon to be territorial disputes, Pabu needed to be separated from his father.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Ailuridae
- Genus: Ailurus
- Species: Ailurus fulgens fulgens
- Species: Ailurus fulgens styani
Animal Facts
- Herbivore
- Endangered
- Bamboo Forest
- Mostly Nocturnal
