New red panda arrives at Bristol Zoo Gardens

A male red panda has joined Bristol Zoo Gardens’ female in the hope the pair will breed. 

Pan, who is 10-months-old, journeyed 86 miles from Birmingham Conservation Wildlife Park to meet his new mate, Shifumi, who recently turned two. 

He was born in July last year at the Birmingham City Council-owned attraction and is the right age to leave his family group and start one of his own. 

It is hoped the new pair at Bristol Zoo Gardens will help the European breeding programme for red pandas whIch are an Endangered species, with a falling global population currently estimated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at just 10,000. 

Al Toyne, Team Leader of Small Mammals at Bristol Zoo Gardens, said: “We are thrilled to have found a suitable mate for Shifumi and to see them getting on so well in each other’s company. 

“The difficulties due to the pandemic this past year have meant there have been a few delays with his arrival. But he is here now and we are delighted.”

Pan and Shifumi are sharing an enclosure a short walk from the Zoo’s entrance which is sponsored by Etherton Education and planted to resemble their natural habitat. 

Shifumi came to Bristol Zoo Gardens from Parc Animalier d’Auvergne in France last September and is named after the game “paper, rock, scissors”. 

Red pandas are excellent climbers, using their strong claws to grasp hold of branches and can often be found at the top of trees in their enclosure. So visitors are encouraged to look into the branches to find them.

In the wild red pandas are found in the mountains of Nepal and northern Myanmar (Burma), as well as in central China but in 2008 the IUCN listed them as Endangered due to logging and the spread of agriculture reducing their natural habitat.

For anyone looking for a special gift to mark a birthday or anniversary it is possible to adopt Shifumi. Her adoption pack includes one ticket to Bristol Zoo Gardens, a cuddly toy, an adoption certificate and a fact-file about her. The name of the person who has adopted her will also be displayed at the side of her enclosure.

For more details go to http://bristolzoo.org.uk/visitor-information/animal-adoptions.

Wild Place Project and Bristol Zoo Gardens are run by Bristol Zoological Society which is a conservation and education charity and relies on the generous support of the public not only to fund its important work at both zoos, but also its vital education and community outreach programme.

In March last year the Society launched the BZS Appeal to ensure the future of its work ‘saving wildlife together’ following the temporary closure of both its sites in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As school groups can now be welcomed back to both zoos, donations from the appeal fund will support the Education Bursary Fund, to ensure schools and youth groups in disadvantaged areas are able to benefit from visiting Bristol Zoo Gardens and Wild Place Project.

To find out more, or to make a donation, visit https://bristolzoo.org.uk/bzsappeal