Taipei Zoo welcomed a new red panda on Thursday from Hamamatsu Zoo in Japan. The four-year-old male red panda, named Mirai will remain in quarantine for one month and is expected to be fully settled and able to see visitors in April 2024.
In a press release, the Taipei Zoo stated that the red panda is part of an exchange with the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), and once out of quarantine will enter into a breeding program. The zoo hopes to maintain the numbers and genetic diversity of red pandas, to contribute to the conservation of endangered animals.
Taipei Zoo Director Chen Yi-tsung (諶亦聰) says that the red panda is listed as an endangered species and that due to illegal poaching, habitat destruction and other factors, the number of red pandas in the wild has been declining.
Taipei Zoo currently cares for 13 red pandas, which are all part of the Global Species Management Plan (GSMP) ensuring adherence to global species management guidelines. Mirai's introduction serves the purpose of introducing new genetic diversity to the Taipei Zoo's red panda population.