As there are glass panels, I would assume they are for the benefit of the animal.
London kept red pandas for a while in one of the enclosures on the lion terraces about 15 years ago, I don't know how they fared. Before this, they were housed in a round, open exhibit containing a single mature tree by the Casson Pavilion (probably the site of what is now the donkey and llama paddock). I imagine Animal Adventure, with its PA for keeper talks and child-focus, is probably a bit more lively than these two other locations. The clore outside exhibits by the meerkats however are right by the road (in fact you can see them from the pavement), and I wonder how the animal is faring in there.
I would like to see the fir tree by the education centre form the centre of an open enclosure for the red panda but, in reality, there is no context for it there and it might be better if this species was not held at London if the surroundings are proving stressful.
Interesting how they make a special note of that the panda did NOT try to attack anyone. Media rule number is that violence and horror MUST be included, in one way or another. And since no one got hurt here, they must make a note of that it did NOT happen. The reader is not allowed to assume that it did not happen since it is not mentioned, and not allowed the pleasure of reading briefly about Red Pandas to find out just how many people they kill every year in Asia. That said, the BBC would probably have preferred that one of the lions had gotten out, not that cute little thing from the Himalayas, to make a proper drama out of it.
Not at all suprised at this news.