Seeing Red at the Santa Barbara Zoo

Giving new — and adorably cute — meaning to the notion of “seeing red,” the Santa Barbara Zoo welcomed Raj, the red panda, into his new habitat this week. After arriving at his new home in April and doing some behind-the-scenes nesting and getting comfortable in his new home, Raj is now ready to see visitors. 

His roommate in his new habitat is Mathilda, a Burmese black mountain tortoise and an animal who lives in a similar area to the ones that red pandas do in the wild. Known for their striking reddish-brown fur, bushy tails, and endearing, bear-like faces, red pandas hail from the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Surprisingly, other than perhaps in the animated film universe (see Kung Fu Panda, and Turning Red) red pandas are not closely related to giant pandas and actually more closely linked to raccoons.

“Raj has settled in well to his beautiful new habitat,” shared Dr. Julie Barnes, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Director of Animal Care, in a statement. “He has been busy exploring, showcasing his natural agility and curiosity. We are delighted to provide him with a safe and enriching environment that meets all of his needs.”

According to the Zoo, “red pandas are endangered due to habitat loss, with less than 10,000 estimated left in the wild. They can be found in various regions of China, Nepal, and northern Myanmar. The name panda is believed to come from the Nepali word ‘ponya,’ meaning ‘bamboo eater,’ and in fact, red pandas were classified and named before giant pandas.” For more information, see sbzoo.org.