December 27th was a special day at Bristol Zoo Gardens this year as red panda Lady Hilary celebrated her 10th birthday.
Like all red pandas, Lady Hilary loves the cold and especially the snow. Red pandas are adapted for cold weather with fur on the soles of their feet, which helps them to keep warm and to grip icy surfaces.
Mammals curator Lynsey Bugg said: “Lady Hilary and her mate Chota love the cold weather.
“They are really popular with our guests. They have such endearing faces and people enjoy seeing them close-up as well as watching them climb effortlessly to the highest point in their trees.”
Red pandas are native to the mountainous regions of Nepal and south-west China where it is very cold and snowy. However, large areas of the forests where they live have been cleared to meet the demand for timber and red pandas are now classified as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Lynsey said: “This is why breeding pairs like the one we have at Bristol Zoo are so important to the survival of this species.”
Bristol Zoo Gardens is a conservation and education charity and relies on the generous support of the public not only to fund its important work in the Zoo, but also its vital conservation and research projects spanning five continents.
Bristol Zoo is opens daily from 9am to 5pm. For more information on visiting go to www.bristolzoo.org.uk
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