A new male red panda has arrived at Denver Zoo as a suitable mate for the zoo's lone female, Daisy. Chewbacca, a 6-year-old, comes from the Detroit Zoo to continue Denver Zoo's successful conservation of the species. He spent the holidays behind-the-scenes, but now visitors can see him exploring his outdoor habitat.
Denver Zoo has been very successful in breeding red pandas.
Red pandas are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated population of less than 2,500 mature individuals remaining in the wild. Their population continues to decline due to habitat fragmentation and hunting. Like their larger cousins, these lesser pandas eat primarily bamboo shoots.
