International Red Panda Day

Help us save wild red pandas like this one that was captured for sale in Nepal. Photo: Mr. Sonam Lama

Follow the lead of amazing children like Hailey Sun Smith, who inspired the Park School in Baltimore, Maryland to hold an elaborate, spontaneous International Red Panda Day celebration or Children’s book author, Leeza Hernandez, who created the newest batch of Red Panda Rangers at Westminster School in New Jersey. Join an expected 100,000 visitors at 30 zoos worldwide and over 1,000 students at schools in 5 states that are helping us create as many Red Panda Rangers as possible in a single day.

Hailey with her red panda, Sita

Download our activity packet now to participate.

What is a Red Panda Ranger?

A Red Panda Ranger is a special title given to children that help spread the word about red pandas. Look in our activity packet to see what activities you can do for International Red Panda Day to become a red panda ranger.

Leeza Hernandez, with the newest Red Panda Rangers.

Contributions received from International Red Panda Day will support the operation of a new community conservation center in Nepal. The Pathivara Community Conservation Center is a community initiative located on the route to Pathivara temple, an important Hindu pilgrimage site, in Taplejung district of northeastern Nepal.

The Center will be located at the crossroads of two major trekking trails, the pilgrimage trail to Pathivara, which attracts 50,000 visitors a year, and the trekking route to Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, which attracts 2,000 foreign tourists a year.

Our plan is to open the Center on International Red Panda Day 2012.

The goal of the Center is to educate visitors on the value of their local natural resources and the unique endangered species that call the region home, focusing on red panda. It hopes to be a demonstration site for innovative conservation technology that local villagers can implement in their own villages and homes.

You can also help by visiting one of the participating organizations listed below or follow the lead of Hailey and create International Red Panda Day in your community today. Hailey and Leeza did it on November 9, 2010. You can do it now if you like. Just join in on the fun!

Campaign Details

What: International Red Panda Day
When: Saturday September 15, 2012, 11:00AM to 4:00PM (third Saturday of September every year)
Where: Check with your local zoo for participation details, or click on the links below for more information on current participating organizations.

Downloads

2011 Activity Packet for Zoos (PDF)
2011 Activity Packet for Students (PDF)

Participating Organizations

Zoo New England – Boston, MA USA
Newquay Zoo – Newquay, Cornwall UK
Greenville Zoo – Greenville, SC USA
Turtle Back Zoo – West Orange, NJ USA
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo – Cleveland, OH USA
Kansas City Zoo – Kansas City, KS USA
Zoo Aquariam Madrid – Madrid, Spain
Toronto Zoo – Toronto, Ontario Canada
Sequoia Park Zoo – Eureka, CA USA
Sacramento Zoo – Sacramento, CA USA
Birmingham Zoo – Birmingham, AL USA
Houston Z00 – Houston, TX USA
Paradise Park – Hayle, Cornwall UK
Edmonton Valley Zoo – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Jackson Zoo – Jackson, MS USA
ETSU and GSB Natural History Museum and Gray Fossil Site – Johnson City, TN USA
Potawatomi Zoo – South Bend, IN USA
Chattanooga Zoo – Chattanooga, TN USA
Roots and Shoots – San Francisco, CA USA
Zagreb Zoo – Zagreb, Croatia

2011 Celebrations Around the World

Toronto, Ontario Canada
Thank you Toronto Zoo for raising $2,623.62 towards red panda conservation! Hailey’s Peace, Love, and Red Panda awareness bracelets were a huge hit!

Hayle, Cornwall UK
Thank you Paradise Park for raising $1,150 towards red panda conservation! Red Panda Awareness Weekend included mask making, silent auctions, face painting, attendance of the local radio station and a raffle.

Houston, Texas USA
The zoo raised awareness and funds from red panda adoptions, memberships and merchandise sold Thank you Houston Zoo for raising $820 towards red panda conservation!

Sacramento, California USA
Thank you Sacramento Zoo and Service System Associates for creating 60 new Red Panda Rangers and raising $80 towards red panda conservation! The zoo gift shop donated $1 for every Red Panda stuffed animal sold.

West Orange, New Jersey USA
Thank you Turtle Back Zoo and Greater New Jersey AAZK Chapter for creating 69 new Red Panda Rangers and raising $204 towards red panda conservation!

Madison, Wisconsin USA
Thank you Henry Vilas Park Zoo for raising $156.76 towards red panda conservation!

Tacoma, Washington USA
Thank you Point Defiance AAZK for raising $356.80 towards red panda conservation!

South Bend, Indiana USA
Thank you Potawatomi Zoo for raising $50 towards red panda conservation!

Lansing, Michigan USA
Thank you Potter Park Zoo Docent Association for raising $271.70 towards red panda conservation! Fundraising activities included selling buttons and face painting.

Jackson, Mississippi USA
Thank you Jackson Zoo for creating 41 new Red Panda Rangers and spreading awareness of red panda conservation efforts!

Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb Zoo celebrated Red Panda Day with choosing the name Kai for this year’s Red panda cub using an applause-meter. Visitors could also participate in making decorations from bamboo, find out what red pandas eat and become “Red panda rangers”.

2010 Celebrations Around the World

Rotterdam, Netherlands
Radio station RTV RIJNMOND featured a piece on International Red Panda Day on their show Chris Natuurlijk on Saturday, November 13, 2010. If you missed the live broadcast you can download the podcast here. Rotterdam Zoo also took part in IRPD by hosting their own red panda activities. Thank you Rotterdam Zoo for raising $454.79 towards red panda conservation!

Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb Zoo celebrated with us and invited children to name twin red panda cubs. Their names, Bamboo and Coco, were revealed by Anđa Marić, the famous red haired Croatian Singer/Actress on International Red Panda Day.
Have You Seen a Red Panda? Meet Twins! from TheCounT.com

Gorlitz, Germany
Climbing trees in search of red panda scat (poop!), a word search and more were available for visitors at Naturschutz-Tierpark Gorlitz. Thank you Gorlitz Zoo for raising £8 towards red panda conservation!

Cornwall, UK
Red Panda Keepers at Paradise Park, Donna and Sarah-Jayne, had face painting, mask making and a raffle to meet and feed one of their red panda. They also handed out “Red Panda – I’m Aware!” badges.

Colwyn Bay, North Wales UK
Red panda colouring sheets were available for children throughout the day and there was a talk at the Red Panda enclosure in the afternoon at Welsh Mountain Zoo. Keeper Tom Lawrence took some bamboo into the panda enclosure and introduced their two red pandas Ming Ming and Bron. Education Officer Sue Coleman provided more information on the threats facing Red pandas in the wild and there was an opportunity to do a quiz. The winner of the quiz was Rowena Davies from Old Colwyn who has won a Red panda adoption for one year!

Gray, Tennessee USA
Gray Fossil Museum celebrated with activities for children and a special presentation by lead red panda fossil researcher, Dr. Steven Wallace. The museum is also donating half of the proceeds from the sale of the red panda patch at the fossil site to Red Panda Network!
1st Annual International Red Panda Day to be celebrated at Gray Fossil Site from Tri-Cities.com

Millbrook, New York USA
With a strict class dress code, Millbrook School raised funds by having students pay $1 to wear jeans and the color red on Friday, November 12, 2010. Trevor Zoo student curators drew a chalkboard mural of red pandas in celebration of their 2 red pandas, Hope and Pang Pang. Trevor Zoo is the only Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo that is based at a high school. Thank you Trevor Zoo and Millbrook School for raising $400 towards red panda conservation!
Millbrook Celebrates Red Panda Day by Jane Meigs, Conservation and Education Director at Millbrook School

Boise, Idaho USA
Zoo Boise introduced its new red panda cub, Angus, on International Red Panda Day. He was born on June 23, 2010. Zoo Boise is a big supporter of Red Panda Network having already donated $2,000 to red panda conservation this year.
Zoo Boise Introduces Red Panda Cub from KTRV-TV Fox 12

Eureka, California USA
RPN CEO Brian Williams headlined 2 talks at Sequoia Park Zoo where children played a human board game and other red panda activities. Children received a badge sticker at each mountain stage to collect in their very own red panda passport on their way to becoming Red Panda Rangers. Thank you Sequoia Park Zoo for raising $151.19 towards red panda conservation!
Celebrate Red Panda Day from the Times-Standard

Raritan Township, New Jersey, USA
The Hunterdon County Library welcomed local author/illustrator Leeza Hernandez to lead their red panda day activities. Children traveled to the Himalayas and played “Feed the Red Panda.”
Celebrate the Red Panda at the Library from the Flemington InJersey

Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Red Panda Day Cake, school wide assembly and activities was how the Park School of Baltimore celebrated International Red Panda Day. Thank you Park School of Baltimore for raising $230 towards red panda conservation!

Kirkcudbright, Scotland UK
Thank you Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park for raising £250 ($380) towards red panda conservation! Read the article below about Galloway’s red panda day activities.
Panda-monium! from the Galloway News

Oakland, California USA
Thank you Oakland Zoo and Roots&Shoots for raising $215 towards red panda conservation!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
Thank you Milwaukee County Zoo and Milwaukee Chapter of American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) for raising $300 towards red panda conservation!

South Bend, Indiana USA
Thank you Potawatomi Zoo for raising $5 towards red panda conservation!

Duisburg, Germany
Thank you Zoo Duisburg for raising $660 towards red panda conservation!