Need a little cuteness break? This New Bedford zoo might have the answer.
NEW BEDFORD — The New Bedford Buttonwood Park Zoo is now offering red panda lovers a glimpse into their living habitat via two free-access web cameras.
In collaboration with local IT company Micro Technology Solutions, Inc in Fairhaven, BPZOO's "Red Panda Cam" is now streaming so viewers can now watch the playful antics of three red pandas - Jacob, Marie, and Sprout.
The cameras are stationary in the exhibit and do not disturb the animals when watching.
Jacob, the first red panda at the zoo, made his debut in 2019 when his habitat was first opened. Shortly after, Marie joined him at the zoo based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP).
Marie has since given birth to three cubs, Kodo, Pip and Sprout. Kodo left the zoo in 2022, as part of a breeding recommendation and Pip was transferred out in April 2024.
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The red pandas at Buttonwood Park Zoo
Sprout is the only remaining offspring with Jacob and Marie, as they follow the natural process of cubs leaving their mother once they are self-sufficient.
Red pandas are native to high-altitude temperate forests in Nepal, northeastern India, Bhutan and parts of China. They are listed as Endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature due to the decline of their population by 50% in the last 20 years.
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This is primarily due to habitat loss, but they are also facing threats from climate change, poaching and disease., according to Sarah Henry, Executive Director of the Buttonwood Park Zoological Society.
It is estimated that there are less than 10,000 and possibly as few as 2,500 red pandas left in the wild.
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In 2022, red pandas became a popular discussion after the release of the Pixar film "Turning Red" on Disney+ starring Rosalie Chiang and Sandra Oh. The film follows Meilin "Mei" Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who transforms into a giant red panda when she experiences any strong emotion, due to a hereditary curse, according to IMDb.com.
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The BPZOO is also a Partner in Conservation with the Red Panda Network and is supporting their "Plant a Red Panda Home in Nepal" campaign. This project aims to restore a crucial forest corridor that connects Nepal and India, which will become a part of the Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung Red Panda Protected Forest in Eastern Nepal - the first protected area dedicated to red pandas in the world.
Viewing the pandas not only gives visitors a chance to witness their cuteness first-hand, but also a way to support efforts to save the endangered species.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Buttonwood Park Zoo 'Red Panda Cam' launched in New Bedford
