Twinkly-eyed, button-nosed Cora is adjusting to her new home in Asian Highlands. The 1-year-old female red panda, who arrived at CMZoo on July 9, is enjoying an enriching environment with branches, triangle perches, recycled firehose ‘vines’ and bamboo snacks.
It’s been more than 20 years since a red panda lived at CMZoo, and in that time, their wild population has declined by half. Only approximately 2,500 red pandas remain in their native Eastern Himalayan forests, with habitat loss and fragmentation being the leading threats.
Cora’s arrival supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Red Panda and the Red Panda Species Survival Plan, helping to manage a diverse and healthy population in human care while inspiring red panda preservation for their wild counterparts.
Cora is mostly visible to guests when she’s out in her main yard. To help her settle into her new home, keepers have added a few branches to the front of her enclosure for extra privacy. They’ve also put up a ‘quiet zone’ sign and set up barriers to keep guests a few feet farther away than usual while she gets comfortable. Stay tuned to our social media platforms for updates on Cora!