Australasian Red Panda Population

WhistlingKite24

WhistlingKite24

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
This thread aims to record the births, deaths and transfers of the Nepalese Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) within the Australasian region. This population list will be more difficult to maintain than the ones for gibbons and rhinos as red pandas aren’t as long lived and often quietly pass away without much notice but I will give this a go anyway as they are a charismatic species with a viable regional population. All of the red pandas except for the breeding female at Taronga were born in the Australasian region (unless the unknown female at Tasmania was imported from outside of the region). The only zoo that I was not able to confirm their current red panda holdings was Mogo Wildlife Park but I found out they have four Red Pandas and used a process of elimination. Edit: Mogo responded a few hours after I posted this list. They have 2.2 Red Pandas: females Dorje and Wai Wai, and males Rohan and Jishnu.

Some notes from my time spent searching all the red pandas:

*Dawa (2012 at Hamilton) has been renamed Sombaar and is the current breeding male at Perth Zoo. He has since produced 1.1 cubs with a Taronga female, Maiya in December 2019. I initially thought he had passed away after his brother Nima moved to Australia Zoo without him but fortunately he is alive and well.

*Tenzin (2007 at Taronga) at the National Zoo and Aquarium seems to have passed away recently. When I contacted the National Zoo and Aquarium, they only mentioned his son Ari (2013) and female Eilish (2007 at National Zoo and Aquarium). It’s a similar story for Mohini (2016 at Auckland Zoo) who hasn’t been mentioned in recent posts by Auckland. Her whereabouts remains a mystery.

*the oldest Red Pandas in the Australasian region are certainly now 17-year-old brothers Nima and Dawa (2003 at Perth) at Wildlife HQ. Their mother Chori was also a particularly long-lived panda as well and spent her retirement years at Symbio where she reached at least the age of 17. The third oldest red panda in the region is one of Currumbin’s pandas, Pasang (2005 at Perth) who is a full brother to Nima and Dawa. Clearly a line of long-lived red pandas!

Corrections/further information is welcomed and appreciated.

Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia
0.1 Imandari 31-12-2006 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Ketan (unk x Tiamat) 20-11-2011 at Perth Zoo

Altina Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
0.1 Tashi (Tenzin x Eilish) 14-12-2013 at National Zoo and Aquarium
0.1 Rani (Pemba x Imandari) 23-12-2013 at Adelaide Zoo

Auckland Zoo, New Zealand
0.1 Bo (Sathi x Roshani) 10-12-2009 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Khela (Chito x Tayla) 12-01-2014 at Hamilton Zoo
1.0 Ramesh (Sagar x Bo) 20-01-2015 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Tashi (Ramesh x Khela) 01-12-2018 at at Auckland Zoo
0.1 Dalha (Ramesh x Khela) 18-12-2019 at Auckland Zoo

Australia Zoo, QLD, Australia
1.0 Nima (Chito x Tayla) 20-12-2012 at Hamilton Zoo
1.0 Ravi (Pemba x Imandari) 28-01-2015 at Adelaide Zoo

Billabong Zoo, NSW, Australia
0.1 Rato (Jishnu x Indira) 30-11-2009 at Mogo Wildlife Park
0.1 Tito (Jishnu x Indira) 30-11-2009 at Mogo Wildlife Park

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, QLD, Australia
1.0 Pasang (Sathi x Chori) 15-12-2005 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Momo (Pemba x Imandari) 28-01-2015 at Adelaide Zoo

Halls Gap Zoo, VIC, Australia
1.0 Shardul (Makalu x Anusha) 08-12-2015 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Mohan (Pabu x Kesari) 24-12-2016 at Symbio Wildlife Park

Hamilton Zoo, New Zealand
0.1 Jamuna (Chito x Tayla) 22-01-2015 at Hamilton Zoo

Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Australia
0.1 Roshani (Harley x Chori) 21-12-2007 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Seba (Mayhem x Wanmei) 06-12-2010 at Taronga Zoo

Mogo Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
1.0 Jishnu (Mayhem x Wanmei) 08-01-2007 at Taronga Zoo
0.1 Wai Wai 16-12-2010 (Jishnu x Indira) at Mogo Wildlife Park
0.1 Dorje (Makalu x Anusha) 08-12-2015 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Rohan (Pabu x Amala) 07-12-2018 at Taronga Zoo

National Zoo and Aquarium, ACT, Australia
0.1 Eilish (Leo x Aru) 08-12-2007 at National Zoo and Aquarium
1.0 Ari (Tenzin x Eilish) 14-12-2013 at National Zoo and Aquarium

Perth Zoo, WA, Australia
0.1 Anusha (Harley x Chori) 28-12-2008 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Sombaar (Chito x Tayla) 20-12-2012 at Hamilton Zoo
0.1 Maiya (Pabu x Amala) 20-11-2016 at Taronga Zoo
1.0 Tsang (Sombaar x Maiya) 02-12-2019 at Perth Zoo
0.1 Nasapati (Sombaar x Maiya) 02-12-2019 at Perth Zoo

Sydney Zoo, NSW, Australia
1.0 Raj (Pabu x Kesari) 24-12-2016 at Symbio Wildlife Park
1.0 Pindhu (Pabu x Kesari) 24-12-2016 at Symbio Wildlife Park

Symbio Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
1.0 Pabu (Pemba x Imandari) 23-12-2013 at Adelaide Zoo
0.1 Kesari (Sagar x Bo) 03-01-2014 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Shifu (Pabu x Kesari) 14-01-2018 at Symbio Wildlife Park
1.0 Malaku (Pabu x Kesari) 14-01-2018 at Symbio Wildlife Park

Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia
1.0 Pabu (Sagar x Bo) 24-12-2012 at Auckland Zoo
0.1 Amala (unk x Bamboozle)17-06-2013 at Bronx Zoo, USA
0.1 Mishry (Pabu x Amala) 07-12-2018 at Taronga Zoo
1.0 Ishwar (Pabu x Amala) 07-12-2018 at Taronga Zoo

Tasmania Zoo, TAS, Australia
1.0 Tenzing (Chito x Tayla) 22-01-2015 at Hamilton Zoo
0.1 Mandu (Seba x Roshani) 10-12-2015 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Alaka 00-00-0000

Wellington Zoo, New Zealand
1.0 Manasa (Ishah x Amy) 25-12-2009 at Wellington Zoo
1.0 Sundar (Sagar x Bo) 03-01-2014 at Auckland Zoo
0.1 Khusi (Chito x Tayla) 12-01-2014 at Hamilton Zoo
1.0 Ngima (Sundar x Khusi) 17-12-2017 at Wellington Zoo

Wildlife HQ, QLD, Australia
1.0 Nima (Sathi x Chori) 09-12-2003 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Dawa (Sathi x Chori) 09-12-2003 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Makalu (Tenzin x Eilish) 18-12-2011 at National Zoo and Aquarium
1.0 Tenzing (Makalu x Anusha) 00-12-2017 at Perth Zoo

Red Panda Population Total: 52 (30.22)
 
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These threads are an invaluable resource @WhistlingKite24. To have the regional population of a species in one concise lists saves trawling through the studbook; and for some of the species you’ve covered, there’s not even recent studbooks available.

They’re also great for refreshing your memory of where an animal ended up e.g. one of the many Nepalese red panda cubs born at Hamilton Zoo.

Long term, it’d be good to have a page pinned to this forum with an index of all your population threads for easy access. I know many will benefit from these threads and their content. :)
 
Zoofan15 said:
These threads are an invaluable resource @WhistlingKite24. To have the regional population of a species in one concise lists saves trawling through the studbook; and for some of the species you’ve covered, there’s not even recent studbooks available.

They’re also great for refreshing your memory of where an animal ended up e.g. one of the many Nepalese red panda cubs born at Hamilton Zoo.

Long term, it’d be good to have a page pinned to this forum with an index of all your population threads for easy access. I know many will benefit from these threads and their content. :)
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I agree having them listed in a pinned page would be good!
 
3.0 Red Panda will be transferred out of the Australasian region soon to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Darjeeling) Zoo, India. A male from Taronga Zoo, a male from Halls Gap Zoo and a male from Auckland Zoo. The individual from Taronga is pretty likely to be their 2018 cub unless they select their older male. For Auckland and Halls Gap Zoo I would also lean towards the younger males but nothing has been confirmed so we will have to wait and see. The export of the males will occur by July 2021 and the three males will be joined by two females from European facilities. They five of them will join the current 23 (4.19) red pandas at this facility. Interesting to note that Sagar, Auckland Zoo's former breeding male from a few breeding seasons ago came from this facility in India so this exchange will see some of his second-generation offspring return to India. Nice bit of news for inter-regional collaboration.

Full article: Darjeeling Zoo to get 5 red pandas from abroad

Potential Male Candidates:

Auckland Zoo:
1.0 Ramesh (Sagar x Bo) 20-01-2015 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Tashi (Ramesh x Khela) 01-12-2018 at at Auckland Zoo

Taronga Zoo:
1.0 Pabu (Sagar x Bo) 24-12-2012 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Ishwar (Pabu x Amala) 07-12-2018 at Taronga Zoo

Halls Gap Zoo:
1.0 Shardul (Makalu x Anusha) 08-12-2015 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Mohan (Pabu x Kesari) 24-12-2016 at Symbio Wildlife Park
 
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WhistlingKite24 said:
3.0 Red Panda will be transferred out of the Australasian region soon to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Darjeeling) Zoo, India.
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It was a long time ago, but I've visited this zoo. It only kept native Himalayan species (although at the time they had a few siberian tigers that where moved there from a lowland zoo for the cooler temperatures). I recall that they bred a lot of western red pandas.
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
3.0 Red Panda will be transferred out of the Australasian region soon to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Darjeeling) Zoo, India. A male from Taronga Zoo, a male from Halls Gap Zoo and a male from Auckland Zoo. The individual from Taronga is pretty likely to be their 2018 cub unless they select their older male. For Auckland and Halls Gap Zoo I would also lean towards the younger males but nothing has been confirmed so we will have to wait and see. The export of the males will occur by July 2021 and the three males will be joined by two females from European facilities. They five of them will join the current 23 (4.19) red pandas at this facility. Interesting to note that Sagar, Auckland Zoo's former breeding male from a few breeding seasons ago came from this facility in India so this exchange will see some of his second-generation offspring return to India. Nice bit of news for inter-regional collaboration.

Full article: Darjeeling Zoo to get 5 red pandas from abroad

Potential Male Candidates:

Auckland Zoo:
1.0 Ramesh (Sagar x Bo) 20-01-2015 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Tashi (Ramesh x Khela) 01-12-2018 at at Auckland Zoo

Taronga Zoo:
1.0 Pabu (Sagar x Bo) 24-12-2012 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Ishwar (Pabu x Amala) 07-12-2018 at Taronga Zoo

Halls Gap Zoo:
1.0 Shardul (Makalu x Anusha) 08-12-2015 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Mohan (Pabu x Kesari) 24-12-2016 at Symbio Wildlife Park
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That’s great news. I remember how exciting it was when Auckland Zoo sent Khosuva to Darjeeling Zoo in 2010; and received Sagar in return. The article doesn’t mention us receiving any pandas in return though, which is disappointing.

I’d lean towards Tashi being the male Auckland Zoo export. Sagar presumably has siblings who’ve bred at Darjeeling, so his grandson (Tashi), who also represents Khela’s bloodline would be presumably be more valuable than Ramesh (son of Sagar).

Additionally, it’s just common sense to export the youngest (suitable) pandas available. Khosuva was almost seven when she was exported and died not long after, without ever having bred.
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
It’s a similar story for Mohini (2016 at Auckland Zoo) who hasn’t been mentioned in recent posts by Auckland. Her whereabouts remains a mystery.
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Auckland Zoo’s Population

Another of Auckland Zoo’s red pandas has disappeared. Bo has now been removed from the website, which lists the zoo’s population as Ramesh, Khela and their offspring - Tashi and Dalha:

0.1 Khela (Chito x Tayla) 12-01-2014 at Hamilton Zoo
1.0 Ramesh (Sagar x Bo) 20-01-2015 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Tashi (Ramesh x Khela) 01-12-2018 at at Auckland Zoo
0.1 Dalha (Ramesh x Khela) 18-12-2019 at Auckland Zoo

Bo was last mentioned on the zoo’s Facebook page in September 2020, three months before her 11th birthday. Given her age, it’s not beyond the realms to imagine she’s passed away.

Last I heard, Bo had been integrated with the mother and daughter pair (Khela and Dalha) in the new exhibit by the otters; while the two males occupied the old off display exhibit. They presumably remain in this arrangement, with one of the males soon to be exported to Darjeeling Zoo.
 
Update on a few of Auckland's red pandas confirmed via email correspondence.

0.1 Bo is still alive and well at Auckland Zoo.

0.1 Mohini (2016) was transferred to Australia Zoo. This is the zoo's first female and presumably she moved there for breeding.

Now that I have finally confirmed Mohini's whereabouts there are approximately 53 (30.23) Red Pandas in the Australasian region.
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
0.1 Mohini (2016) was transferred to Australia Zoo. This is the zoo's first female and presumably she moved there for breeding.
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I emailed Australia Zoo to double check their current red panda holdings in case there were any additional surprises. They now house 2.1 Red Pandas and quietly acquired the new pair over the past year or so. Their original male Ravi (2015) has been their display panda for a few years now near the tiger temple. He was then joined by male Nima (2012) and female Rohini (2016). The zoo stated in the email that they plan to now breed Red Pandas from this new off-display pair they have created - which if successful would be the first time red pandas have bred in Queensland. Note that the zoo's other male Ravi is unrelated to female Rohini (their full siblings are the breeding pair at Symbio) so they have a few options if needed.

I should also point out that the 2020 breeding season for the species came and went in Australasia with no successful red panda births (unless there are a few cubs hiding somewhere waiting to be announced). The region has been breeding red pandas every year since at least 2005 like clockwork without failure up until now. Fingers crossed 2021 sees a few new pairings succeed - Mogo's new pair and now Australia Zoo's pair namely.
 
1.0 Pabu has been transferred to Wildlife HQ. Since there are two Pabus in the Australasian region I have yet to uncover whether it's the male at Taronga Zoo or Symbio Wildlife Park. Wildlife HQ should now have 5.0 Red Pandas.

Wildlife HQ, QLD, Australia
1.0 Nima (Sathi x Chori) 09-12-2003 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Dawa (Sathi x Chori) 09-12-2003 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Makalu (Tenzin x Eilish) 18-12-2011 at National Zoo and Aquarium
1.0 Pabu (Sagar x Bo) 24-12-2012 at Auckland Zoo OR 1.0 Pabu (Pemba x Imandari) 23-12-2013 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Tenzing (Makalu x Anusha) 00-12-2017 at Perth Zoo
 
A few points on International Red Panda Day.

The National Zoo and Aquarium have posted a video mentioning that there only red panda in the collection is 1.0 Ari. Their other red panda, Eilish must have either passed or been moved to another zoo.

Wildlife HQ have mentioned that 1.0 Pabu is seven years old meaning he is the younger one of the two Pabus from Symbio Wildlife Park. The video on their social media only mentioned three pandas at the zoo which possibly means 1.0 Nima and 1.0 Dawa have passed. I will have to double check as they were the region's oldest individuals of the species. Pabu arrived a week ago.
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
Wildlife HQ have mentioned that 1.0 Pabu is seven years old meaning he is the younger one of the two Pabus from Symbio Wildlife Park.
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It’d be good if zoos participating in the coordinated breeding programme coordinated on naming their red pandas - especially considering there’s only around 50 pandas at any given time and a multitude of names out there.

Irregardless of whether they’re coordinated from a studbook that lists them all as numbers; they’re not Mickey Mice or Shamus where one can expect to see the ‘same’ panda across different locations.

The list above details two named Tashi, two named Tenzing, two named Pabu and two sibling pairs containing a Nima and a Dawa.
 
I just received confirmation that 1.0 Nima and 1.0 Dawa at Wildlife HQ have both recently passed away. They were Australasia's oldest red pandas having been born on 9th December 2003 and were a few months away from reaching 18 years old. They were born at Perth, later moved to Mogo and arrived into Queensland at Alma Park Zoo in 2009. They moved to Wildlife HQ when the animals were later relocated. Wildlife HQ now houses the 3.0 Red Pandas - Makalu (2011), Pabu (2013) and Tenzing (2017). The oldest red pandas in the region should be Currumbin's Pasang (2005) and Adelaide's Imandari (2006) if they are still around.

Nima and Dawa were also the first red pandas I ever saw. One of my photos of one of them in their younger days:
full
 
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Zoofan15 said:
It’d be good if zoos participating in the coordinated breeding programme coordinated on naming their red pandas - especially considering there’s only around 50 pandas at any given time and a multitude of names out there.

Irregardless of whether they’re coordinated from a studbook that lists them all as numbers; they’re not Mickey Mice or Shamus where one can expect to see the ‘same’ panda across different locations.

The list above details two named Tashi, two named Tenzing, two named Pabu and two sibling pairs containing a Nima and a Dawa.
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Will never happen, as it is irrelevant to the species management.
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
I just received confirmation that 1.0 Nima and 1.0 Dawa at Wildlife HQ have both recently passed away. They were Australasia's oldest red pandas having been born on 9th December 2003 and were a few months away from reaching 18 years old.
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Not a bad age! They almost broke the historical record for longevity of this species, which was set by Chito when he died at Hamilton Zoo last October at the age of 17 years 10 months (born December 2002 at Auckland Zoo).

The Smithsonian National Zoo claim they can live as long as 23, so maybe one day we’ll see that achieved in this region.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Not a bad age! They almost broke the historical record for longevity of this species, which was set by Chito when he died at Hamilton Zoo last October at the age of 17 years 10 months (born December 2002 at Auckland Zoo).

The Smithsonian National Zoo claim they can live as long as 23, so maybe one day we’ll see that achieved in this region.
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I was wondering if the climate in which the RP are kept in has any baring on their longevity in zoos, The climate in NZ would be closer to that of there wild kin?.
 
Zorro said:
I was wondering if the climate in which the RP are kept in has any baring on their longevity in zoos, The climate in NZ would be closer to that of there wild kin?.
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Wellington Zoo has the closest climate to their natural range out of New Zealand’s zoos holding red panda. They’ve had some pandas live to decent ages - their first pair (Jay and Reka) were alive until at least their 17th year (they were last mentioned in 2012); while their next pair (Ishah and Amy) lived until the ages of 14 and 15 years respectively.

Auckland Zoo has the warmest climate and they’ve had mixed results. One female (Maya) lived until at least the age of 15; as did her daughter (Amber) and another male (Sagar). Maya’s mother (Tashi) died prematurely at the age of five years; and at least two cubs have died as juveniles - one in 1997 and one in 2017.

Hamilton Zoo is inbetween Auckland and Wellington and has had excellent results - with Chito holding the record for longevity at just under 18 years. Their infant survival rate has been considerably higher than Auckland and Wellington Zoo.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Wellington Zoo has the closest climate to their natural range out of New Zealand’s zoos holding red panda. .
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Is that a polite way of saying Wellington is bl**dy cold?
 
MRJ said:
Is that a polite way of saying Wellington is bl**dy cold?
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Haha no euphemisms here. Just comparing the climates of Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton as there are variations between them.

Nobody would ever say Wellington was a warm city (at least not in general), but the word that comes most to mind when I think of Wellington is windswept. Wellington is often called the world's windiest city due to both its average wind speed and strongest recorded gust; and of course their rugby team is the Hurricanes.

A zoo in a windswept city is in my mind perfect to hold Nepalese red pandas and the Snow leopards they’ll be receiving next year.
 
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