Picture of the Week: Lum the Red Panda

Photo Credit: Dane County and Henry Vilas Zoo

With his beady black eyes and puffy white cheeks, Lum may be the cutest new addition to the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison.  He was brought over from a zoo in Cincinatti for one job and one job only and it's a tough one.  His new roommate is a very picky lady, but zookeepers hope Lum can work his magic and maybe by July there will be a new mini red panda or two crawling around the exhibit. Red pandas are fascinating animals with no close relatives on Earth.  They are thought to be very distantly related to raccoons, skunks, and weasels, but have characteristics similar to the Giant Panda including a false thumb and a great desire for bamboo. In recent times, their habitats have been fractionated due to human occupation and deforestation, and they do not breed quickly in the wild or in captivity. Estimates put their wild population somewhere between 16,000 and 2,500, and they are listed as "Vulnerable"by IUCN standards. Here in Madison, we are lighting some candles, playing some Barry White, and crossing our fingers that this couple will contribute to keeping this species alive.