Randy Cassingham's Blog

I was lucky enough to see the Giant Pandas loaned to Calgary during the Winter Olympics (1988). Very appealing. They weren't as active as the ones you saw, though.

I did know about the Red Panda, although I've never seen one. I found out about it when I was checking out whether the Giant Panda is a bear or not. The scientific community keeps changing its mind, for now they seem to have decided that the Giant Panda is a bear, after all.

I believe that, if you check, you will find that the giant panda is not a bear but is, as you said about the red panda, a relative of the raccoon.

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See the previous comment. The panda is currently classified as a bear. -rc

What a bunch of cuties on those pics. Really beautiful! Thanks for the view.

I'm lucky enough to live in a city that has a true world-class zoo. The Cincinnati Zoo has a nice exhibit of the Red Panda, so I've known about them for years. And, yes indeed, they are cute!

I have also seen red pandas, and will see them tonight, at the Washington National Zoo. They have a beautiful new enclosure, and are often much more entertaining than the big pandas, even Tai Shan, the "baby" of the three pandas we have here. And check out the Firefox browser logo. If you have ever seen that, you have seen a red panda! :)

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I wasn't sure if the Firefox browser logo was a red panda, or a red fox -- which are different. Looks more like a fox to me, but then, it's a cartoon.... -rc

Thanks for sharing your trip.

Your mention of the lesser or red panda reminded me of the first time that I heard of them. I was in elementary school at the time (probably second or third grade), so that would have been in the late 50's. I remember reading a book about a brother and sister who went to see pandas. I don't remember how I came to be in possession of the book, perhaps it was in the school library, or why I choose this book, more than likely because the word panda was in the title. I, of course, at the time only knew about the big black and white pandas and thought that was what the story was about. I remember being disappointed that it was not about giant pandas, but I have not forgotten since that time that there are two kinds of pandas in the world. If the book had been about giant pandas I doubt that I would have remembered it at all. Thanks for reminding me of that experience.

Randy, you really must visit the Denver Zoo. On my last trip to the zoo in May '07, I photographed a lovely little red panda. Yep. There is one in our very own zoo.

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I've never been! Even when I lived right up the road in Boulder. Now, I'm a 5-hour drive away. -rc

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo has a couple of Red Pandas. Our zoo is consistently rated as one of the top zoos in the nation! Come visit!

Whoops... I always thought *all* pandas were more closely related to raccoons, not just red pandas. And I call myself an animal person ;) Hey, I've always liked the red ones best anyway! They remind me a little of lemurs (though no relation).

Upon reading the Wikipedia info, actually, it looks like giant pandas, too, are related to 'coons and have had their taxonomy under debate, though recent genetic testing has placed them nearer "true" bears. Red pandas, meantime, are from the "superfamily" Musteloidea--including weasels, skunks, and yes, raccoons. No wonder I was confused.

Coincidentally this hits my inbox right after my friend and I were discussing our own upcoming trip to the Denver Zoo (not to mention the story on Chinese health precautions; our trip's being delayed until whatever bug said friend has caught is gone... I remember seeing numerous people in South Korea wearing those masks, too, but even when I was ill it never occurred to me to emulate them).

Another famous red panda...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/05/0524_050524_standpanda.html