Is the red panda actually a panda?

Not in the sense of being related to the giant panda. The red panda is the only living member of its own family, Ailuridae, within the order Carnivora; its resemblance to the giant panda in diet and thumb structure is a case of convergent evolution rather than close kinship.

Are red pandas endangered?

Yes. The IUCN Red List classifies the red panda as Endangered, citing a population decline of over 50% across three generations driven mainly by habitat destruction, fragmentation, and poaching.

Where can you see red pandas in Japan?

Red pandas are kept at a large number of Japanese zoos, including Atagawa Tropical Garden & Alligator Garden, Toyohashi Zoo and Botanical Park, and Noichi Zoological Park in Kochi; Japanese zoo association facilities collectively housed 267 individuals as of the end of 2022.

Red Panda Facility and Individual Records

Species Data

Classification: Carnivora / Ailuridae Source
Size: Head-body length 50–63.5 cm, tail 28–48.5 cm
Weight: 3–6 kg (the Himalayan subspecies is reported at 3.2–9.4 kg, and females of the Sichuan subspecies at 4–15 kg)
Lifespan: About 15 years in captivity; with improved husbandry, more individuals are living beyond 20 years
Diet: Omnivore Omnivorous; feeds mainly on bamboo and bamboo shoots but also eats small mammals, bird eggs, insects, carrion, fruit, and lichens
Activity: Crepuscular
Distribution: Native to the temperate forests of the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, including Nepal, Bhutan, northeastern India (Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh), Myanmar, and the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

Red pandas grasp bamboo using a "false thumb"—an extension of the wrist bone—a feature they evolved independently but share with the unrelated giant panda. Source
Despite subsisting mainly on bamboo, red pandas retain a carnivore-type digestive tract, making digestion so inefficient that they produce roughly five times more waste relative to body size than comparable animals. Source
As of the end of 2022, Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums member facilities alone housed 267 red pandas, making Japan one of the countries with the largest captive population of the species. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 38

Red Pandaレッサーパンダ

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

Sabaeshinishiyama DoubutsuenFukuiOpened in 1985

Naganoshichausuyama DoubutsuenNaganoThe nearest station is JR Shinonoi Station.

Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira ZooShizuokaOpened in 1969

Asahiyama ZooHokkaidoOpened in 1967

Yokohama Shiritsu Nogeyama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1951

Saitamakenkodomodoubutsu Shizen KouenSaitamaOpened in 1980

Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaAbout a 20-minute walk from Goino Station on the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line, or take a bus bound for Taniyama / Dobutsuen from Fukuhira Nokyo-mae to the last stop.

Omuta City ZooFukuokaOpened in 1941

Tama ZooTokyoOpened in 1958

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Tokushima ZooTokushima

Tobe Zoological Park of Ehime PrefectureEhimeOpened in 1988

Yokohama Shiritsu Yokohama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1999

Miyazakishifenikkusushizen DoubutsuenMiyazakiBuses bound for Phoenix Shizen Dobutsuen run from Miyako City or Miyazaki Station (check the Miyazaki Kotsu website for detailed timetables).

Kyoto City ZooKyotoOpened in 1903

Kiryuugaoka DoubutsuenGunmaIf driving, set your car navigation to "Kiryugaoka Amusement Park" (Kiryugaoka Yuenchi) rather than "Kiryugaoka Zoo" to reach the parking lot (searching by the zoo name may give an incorrect route).

Kushiroshi DoubutsuenHokkaidoAbout 55 minutes from JR Kushiro Station by Akan Bus, or about 27 minutes (18 km) by car, taxi, or rental car.

Kumamotoshi DoushokubutsuenKumamotoTake the tram bound for Kengun and get off at the Doshokubutsuen-Iriguchi stop, then walk 10 minutes.

SHIZEN ZOOTokyoAbout a 15-minute walk from the north exit of Nishi-Kasai Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, or about a 20-minute walk from the south exit of Funabori Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line.

Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

Ichikawashi DoushokubutsuenChibaAddress: 284-1 Omachi, Ichikawa, Chiba.

Shuunanshitokuyama DoubutsuenYamaguchiOpened in 1960

Akitashioomoriyama DoubutsuenAkitaFrom bus stop 7 at the west exit of the JR Akita Station bus terminal, take the Akita Chuo Kotsu "Araya Line" bus for about 30 minutes.

OJI ZOOHyogo3 minutes on foot west from Oji-Koen Station on the Hankyu line.

Saikaikokuritsu Kouen Kujuukushima DoushokubutsuenNagasakiOpened in 1961

IKEDA ZOOOkayamaFrom the West Exit of JR Okayama Station, take an Okaden Bus bound for Chuo Byoin (Central Hospital) to the Kyoyama Iriguchi stop, then walk about 12 minutes.

Nagasaki Bio ParkNagasakiOpened in 1980

Tennoji ZooOsakaOpened in 1915

Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

TOBU ZOOSaitamaFrom Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen Station (west exit), about 10 minutes on foot (600 m) or about 5 minutes by bus.

Hitachishikamine DoubutsuenIbarakiAbout 5 minutes from the Hitachi-Chuo Interchange on the Joban Expressway via National Route 6.

Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

Toyamashifamiri ParkToyamaOpened in 1984

Fuji Safari ParkShizuokaOpened in 1980

Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical GardenFukuokaOpened in 1953

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

Temporarily closed facilities

Koufushiyuuki Kouen Fuzoku DoubutsuenYamanashi

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