Red Panda Weekend at Assiniboine Park Zoo is Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19. (ASSINIBOINE PARK CONSERVANCY / HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — Assiniboine Park Zoo is celebrating International Red Panda Day in a big way this weekend.
The zoo is hosting Red Panda Weekend on Saturday and Sunday with family-friendly activities, while also remaining “COVID careful.”
“The wild population of red pandas is believed to have declined by 50 percent over the last 20 years, due primarily to habitat loss and other impacts directly linked to human activity,” says Grant Furniss, senior director, zoological operations, Assiniboine Park Zoo.
“As the lone member of their taxonomic family, red pandas are truly unique, and losing them to extinction would be devastating. We need to act today to protect red pandas and the many other species that share their habitat.”
According to the Red Panda Network, there may be as few as 2,500 red pandas remaining in the wild. The species is typically found in the mountain forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan, China and Myanmar (Burma).
Red Panda Day activities at Assiniboine Park Zoo
When: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20
Where: McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre
- Balancing Challenge: Red pandas spend most of their time in trees, using their bushy tails for balance and sharp claws for gripping. Can you balance like a red panda?
- Red Panda Selfie Station: Take a red panda themed selfie with your friends and family.
- Adaptation Station: Visit our “show and tell” bio-fact station and learn how red pandas are physically adapted to arboreal life.
- Craft Station: Make your own red panda eye mask.
Donations will be collected in support of the Red Panda Network and their efforts to conserve wild red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities.
The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
