Meet the Red Pandas

Did you know that a family of fluffy-faced, bushy-tailed red pandas live right in your neighborhood at the Seneca Park Zoo? The mom and dad red pandas, Starlight and Willie, have a pair of twins named Micah and Lukas who are just one year old.

Red pandas come from the eastern Himalayas and China. They have red fur with black-lined bellies to keep them camouflaged in the wild. Although their cute whiskers and little faces make them look extremely huggable and lovable, you don’t want to get too close to these spunky little creatures.

Micah and Lukas live with their mom while their dad, Willie, prefers his own space just around the corner. The twins love to play with each other all day long, except when they’re eating or napping. Lukas, the feistier of the pair, usually starts the play fighting, but Micah, who is large and in charge, finishes it.

Red pandas snack on bamboo leaves all day long, but their favorite food to eat is fruit. To these baby red pandas, apples and pears are just like candy, and when it’s in their reach, they gobble it all up as fast as they can.

At the Seneca Park Zoo, the zookeepers put their fruit in mini pinatas and watch as Micah, Lukas, and Starlight dig in. By the time they are finished, the pinata sits over their heads like a hat—there is never a crumb left behind.

The word “panda” means “bamboo eater” in Chinese, which explains how these animals got their name. However, unlike the larger white and black pandas, red pandas only eat the leaves on the bamboo instead of the entire stalks.

It is easy to think that red pandas are related to the giant panda bear. However, the red panda, also known as the firefox, isn’t classified as a bear and was discovered several years before the panda bear.

Red pandas are much smaller than giant pandas but are incredibly agile climbers and spend much of their time high up in trees. They can climb as high in the air as they want but aren’t as skilled at jumping and leaping between trees. They also have special attachments on their paws that allow them to climb head first down trees, something you would never catch a giant panda doing.

A day in the life of these bright red baby pandas at the zoo is paradise. They wake up, play, eat, nap in a hammock high in the trees, and repeat. They love the snow and will spend all their time outside if the weather is cool enough. Since they come from the Himalayan mountains, they prefer cold temperatures or air conditioning in the summertime. It is best to visit them at the zoo when the weather is a bit chillier as they are not a fan of hot and humid summer days.

As Micah and Lukas continue to grow up, they will soon move out and find a new zoo when the time is right. But Starlight and Willie are at the Seneca Park Zoo to stay and can’t wait for you to come to visit them this summer!

PARENTS:

Our article about the Seneca Park Zoo’s red panda family is an excellent way for your children to learn about animals and their lives at the zoo. It can also spark fun and exciting conversations with your little ones. Here are a few questions you can ask your kids about the red pandas.

Q: What part of the world do red pandas come from? Activity: Look up pictures of China and the Himalayas together. Ask your child if they would like to visit this part of the world someday.

Q: What does the word “panda” mean? Activity: Go to a local garden store or nursery and examine bamboo. Let your child (carefully) feel the stalks of the plant.

Q: True or false: Red pandas aren’t actually related to the giant panda. (Answer: true!) Activity: Search online or at the library to learn what the closest relatives of the red panda really are.

Q: Do red pandas prefer hot or cool weather? Activity: Investigate what the average temperatures are in the Himalayas.