Just weeks after welcoming a new gorilla, Jersey Zoo has introduced another charismatic newcomer… an inquisitive red panda called Esha.
Esha will be housed alongside the marmosets and has been getting to grips with her new environment.
Red pandas are particularly adept at climbing with their six digits and semi-retractile claws. Their diet consists mainly of bamboo. Red pandas are listed as endangered and are legally protected in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal. They face threats in the wild such as habitat loss, human interference and poaching.
Mary-Anne Jones, team leader of mammals at Jersey Zoo said: “We are over the moon to welcome Esha, the red panda into the Jersey Zoo family. So far, Esha has settled in well, growing in confidence both with her new keepers and in her amazing new enclosure.”
She continued: “Our new red panda represents one of the incredible species found in the forests of the Himalayas. Hundreds of miles away, in the grasslands of Assam, Durrell has spent decades helping save one of the world’s rarest mammals, the pygmy hog. Together, these species remind us that protecting India’s wildlife means protecting many different habitats, from mountain forests to tropical grasslands.
“We are so excited for our guests to see Esha scaling the dazzling heights of her exciting new enclosure.”
Earlier this summer, the zoo welcomed a new gorilla to its troop for the first time, when ten-year-old female Afia arrived in the Island from Bristol.
