
Red pandas are some of the Edmonton Valley Zoo’s most popular residents! Between their adorable faces, rusty red coats, and bushy tails, it’s easy to see how they enchant thousands of zoo visitors each year.
Red pandas are also sometimes called red cat-bears and red bear-cats because they have a lumbering gait like a bear and the whiskers of a cat. Though not related to the black and white giant pandas, these tree-dwellers also have a diet primarily made up of bamboo. The long, bushy tail of a red panda helps them maintain balance in the trees and helps to protect them against the harsh cold and wind in the mountains. Their fur consists of a soft, woolly undercoat covered by long, course guard hairs.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is an internationally recognized, successful red panda breeding location and we are a proud member of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan (SSP). To date, 16 healthy red pandas have been born right here, and most are at other accredited zoos around North America on breeding loans.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is home to three red pandas – parents Pip and Kalden, and their daughter Paprika. Our panda family is set to move into their new home at the Edmonton Valley Zoo next week! Zoo members can come by daily between May 28-30 for exclusive access to the red panda habitat and play space. The exhibit will open to the general public on May 31.
If you do not have a membership and would like to take part in the sneak peek, you can buy one at Guest Services at the Edmonton Valley Zoo!


