The Louisville Zoo in Kentucky this week announced the addition of a young red panda, the zoos first since the 1970s.
The 1-year-old male red panda weighs about 8 pounds and is named Sundara, though zoo staff have nicknamed him Sunny D.
A video shared by the zoo shows Sunny D exploring his new home, eating bamboo, and following trails of his favorite positive reinforcement snack, grapes.
“There are so many fun things to learn about this unique species that we havent seen at the Zoo since the early days,” Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney said in a statement. “While one might think they are in the bear family, they are actually in a taxonomic group that shares common traits with mustelids like raccoons, weasels and skunks. We are very excited to have red pandas back at the Zoo and to be sharing this species with Kentuckiana.”
The red panda is an arboreal, or tree-dwelling, species native to the Himalayan forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar and southern China. The species is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List of Threatened Species.
Sunny D came to Louisville from the Kansas City Zoo in Missouri, and took up residence in the zoos former snowy owl exhibit in Glacier Run, next to Splash Park. The zoo warns visitors that he may be found napping through the afternoon, however.
“Lover of grapes and climbing, this crepuscular mammal has nestled his way into our lives and hearts,” the zoo said. “Crepuscular animals are most active at dawn and dusk. Please keep that in mind if you see Sundara sleeping in the afternoon.”
