Yangon Zoo sets up special breeding center for endangered red pandas
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Saw/ Hsu (NP News) - Nov 14
At the Yangon Zoo, special breeding center enclosures have been arranged for red pandas, a species nearing extinction, to help them reproduce and increase their population, a zoo official told The Statesman Journal.
While the red panda species in Myanmar mainly inhabits the northern reaches of Kachin State, near the borders with China and India, its total global population has plummeted to an estimated 10,000, placing the animal in serious danger of extinction.
On August 30, four two-year-old red pandas were transferred from Kanpaikti in Kachin State to the Yangon Zoo as part of a conservation project focusing on a captive breeding program to help the species reproduce successfully in a protected environment.
“We’re setting up larger and more comfortable enclosures than the current display cages—these are designed for breeding purposes. When the pandas show signs of natural mating behavior—when they start pairing up—we will move them into separate breeding rooms within the Breeding Center,” the official explained.
Red pandas usually mate between mid-January and March. Following a 112 to 158-day gestation period, females typically deliver one to four cubs between late June and mid-July.
At present, six red pandas (two males, four females) are housed at the Yangon Zoo. They are on display and are under careful monitoring by caretakers.
“Red pandas are native to cold, mountainous regions at an altitude of around 8,000 feet above sea level, so they prefer cooler climates. Because our weather here is much warmer, we have set up well-ventilated enclosures with adequate air conditioning. They primarily feed on bamboo leaves and tender bamboo shoots, so we have planted bamboo within their habitat. We have also arranged logs, tree branches, and small rocky areas to replicate their natural environment,” the official added.
Red pandas face serious threats that continue to push the species toward extinction. These threats include deforestation and the subsequent loss of natural habitats, as well as human-related dangers such as hunting and poaching for their meat and fur, and the illegal trade of wildlife in local markets.