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Kodo, the first red panda born at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in its 126 year history, will be venturing into the outdoor red panda habitat on Saturday, September 19, 2020 as the Zoo celebrates International Red Panda Day.
Kodo was born to BPZOO’s female red panda, 2 year-old Marie, on June 4, 2020. Over the last 4 months, veterinary and keeper staff have kept a watchful eye on Kodo, conducting weekly weight checks, administering vaccines, and watching for developmental milestones. It was through these observations that staff was able to determine Kodo’s readiness to safely navigate the high perching within the outdoor habitat.
It was during one of the weekly screenings that Dr. Erica Lipanovich noticed something else about Kodo.
“In one of our initial examinations of the cub, Kodo appeared to be female. It can be extremely difficult to determine the sex of a red panda, so it became part of each screening. During one examination, I felt what appeared to be testes, so I reached out to colleagues at another zoo for a second opinion. They agreed; Kodo appeared to be a male,” said Lipanovich. “After this week’s examination, it is safe to say that Kodo is NOT a boy, but in fact, is a girl – just as we initially suggested.”
The name “Kodo”, a Nepalese word for grain, was chosen by BPZOO supporters around the country and even into Canada. Over 60 names were submitted by the “Red Panda Pals”, a special group of donors who were treated to behind the scenes photos and videos of the cub. 3,400 votes were cast and her name was announced on September 1st.
Kodo, like any other young animal (or child), tires easily and will periodically head off exhibit for naps with Marie. BPZOO welcomes you to log into the “Panda Cam”, hosted by ABC6 and powered by Bristol County Savings Bank, by visiting abc6.com/panda-cam/ if she isn’t visible during your visit.
“The Zoo is very excited to be able to share this amazing cub with our devoted guests and we expect that everyone who visits will become smitten with our adorable red panda family,” said BPZOO Director Keith Lovett. “The Zoo is equally excited to be able to raise awareness and directly support the conservation of this endangered species in the wild in Asia.”
The BPZOO actively participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan (SSP) for red pandas. The goal of the SSP is to cooperatively manage animal populations to ensure the sustainability of a healthy and genetically diverse population while enhancing the conservation of this species in the wild.
BPZOO recently became a Partner in Conservation with the Red Panda Network by helping in their campaign to Plant a Red Panda Home in Nepal. Once restored, the critical forest corridor that connects Nepal and India will be part of the Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung Red Panda Protected Forest in Eastern Nepal: the world’s FIRST protected area dedicated to red panda!
More information about BPZOO’s commitment to conserving red pandas locally and globally can be found at bpzoo.org/education-and-conservation/committed-to-conservation/our-projects-programs/.
About Red Pandas
Red pandas, Ailurus fulgens fulgens, live in high-altitude temperate forests of Nepal, northeastern India, Bhutan and part of China. Listed as Endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature, the global red panda population has declined by 50% over the last 20 years. Primarily threatened by habitat loss, red pandas are also susceptible to climate change, poaching, livestock herding and disease. It is estimated that there are less than 10,000 and as few as 2,500 red pandas remaining in the wild. Currently, there are 240 red pandas at 85 AZA accredited institutions who are working together to save this endangered species.
Primarily bamboo eaters, red pandas need to eat 20-30% of their body weight each day due to the high amount of indigestible fiber present in bamboo. Thanks to the success of the Zoo’s Community Bamboo Program, the red pandas, elephants and others enjoy various species of bamboo harvested from private landowners throughout the community.
