Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Ailuridae

Thought I'd bring out this Red Panda again as a change from owls and wildflowers, LOL. On this particular day, a family (of humans) was in with the Red Pandas, on a special visit. The animals were being given a treat that they love - grapes : )

I lucked out yesterday when one of the Red Pandas actually kept still for a moment or two. It was up in its tree-house and lay there, watching me take a few photos. Taken at the Calgary Zoo on April 20th. I prefer the more natural looking shots, but with these guys, I'll take anything : ) "The red panda has given scientists taxonomic fits. It has been classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail. Currently, red pandas are considered members of their own unique family—the Ailuridae. Red pandas are endangered, victims of deforestation. Their natural space is shrinking as more and more forests are destroyed by logging and the spread of agriculture." From National Geographic. animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-panda/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

These beautiful, endangered Red Pandas are very popular with people visiting the Calgary Zoo. They are very difficult to photograph, as they spend their time constantly moving around in their enclosure or asleep inside one of their "tree houses". I was lucky that day that this Red Panda stopped for a brief moment. Taken on 31st October 2009. Below is an article from 2009, from CBC News, written after the birth of a new baby Red Panda at Calgary Zoo: "Every time a red panda is born, and particularly every time the cub is raised by its mother, it's an important achievement, because the mortality rate for red panda cubs is as high as 74 per cent. Since 1994, nine red cub pandas have been born at the Calgary Zoo. "It is important to continue to support conservation and protection of red pandas so that some day we see a natural increase in their populations," said Tim Sinclair-Smith, curator of the zoo's Eurasia section. "There is still a long way to go to this end, but this new birth will have a positive impact on captive population growth and genetic diversity of the species." It's estimated there are fewer than 10,000 mature red pandas in the world. They're classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) does not enjoy hot weather, so they have either been inside, curled up asleep in a tree or sleeping in one of their little tree houses the last few times I have been to the Calgary Zoo. Did catch this one on a very quick walk around its enclosure on September 26th, but then it was back to taking a nap. "They are very heat sensitive, with an optimal “well-being” temperature between 17 and 25 °C (63 and 77 °F), and cannot tolerate temperatures over 25 °C (77 °F)." "The red panda has been classified as Vulnerable by IUCN because its population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries, their numbers in the wild continue to decline mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

Not the most elegant photo of this Red Panda at the Calgary Zoo, but they have either been out of their enclosure or fast asleep, hidden inside their wooden tree houses the last two or three times I've been to the Zoo. Was lucky to see this little guy/gal taking a nap. "The Red Panda is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list (2009.01), and is listed in CITES appendix I. It has been previously classified in the families Procyonidae (raccoon) and Ursidae (bears), but recent research has placed it in its own family Ailuridae, in superfamily Musteloidea along with Mustelidae, Procyonidae, and Mephitidae.[5] Two subspecies are recognized." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Panda

I'm just not finding much "stuff" to photograph these days, so will post a different photo I took back in November of this beautiful Red Panda at the Calgary Zoo. These animals are so hard to photograph, as they are constantly on the move in their enclosure, LOL. "Every time a red panda is born, and particularly every time the cub is raised by its mother, it's an important achievement, because the mortality rate for red panda cubs is as high as 74 per cent. Since 1994, nine red cub pandas have been born at the Calgary Zoo. "It is important to continue to support conservation and protection of red pandas so that some day we see a natural increase in their populations," said Tim Sinclair-Smith, curator of the zoo's Eurasia section. "There is still a long way to go to this end, but this new birth will have a positive impact on captive population growth and genetic diversity of the species." It's estimated there are fewer than 10,000 mature red pandas in the world. They're classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List." From CBC News, Calgary.