Red Panda

Why in News:

• On the occasion of Christmas 2024, two red pandas have been brought from Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PMZP) in Darjeeling and named ‘Vishal’ and ‘Koshi’.
  • After a decade, a red panda has been brought from a foreign state.

• Established in 1958, PMZP hosts the country’s most successful conservation breeding program for red pandas.
• The planned conservation breeding program here began in 1986 as a part of the Global Captive Breeding Masterplan.
  • At the beginning of the program, PMZP had one male and three female red pandas of wild origin.

About Red Panda:

• The red panda is also known as the Lesser Panda. It is a small mammal of the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
• Scientific name: Ailurus fulgens
• Habitat: In India, it is found in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal.
  • Red panda is the state animal of Sikkim.
• Population: Less than 10,000 (according to World Wildlife Fund).
• Conservation status:
• IUCN status [included in 2015]: Endangered (EN)
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Listed under Schedule I.