Lone Female Panda Daisy Gets Partner at Denver Zoo

The Denver Zoo has a Valentine gift ready for its 6-year-old lone female red panda Daisy. The panda gets a mate called Chewbacca, not the Star War's hairy non-English speaking co-pilot, but a new male panda from the Detroit Zoo which was recently welcomed by the zoo last November. 

With this pairing, the zoo authorities aim at maintaining Denver Zoo's successful conservation of species. Chewbacca was chosen for Daisy under the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), whose mission is to support a healthy population and genetic diversity among zoo animals.

The Red Panda (firefox) is also referred to as the 'lesser panda'. Initially, they were thought to be closely related to pandas, but it was later found that they are closely allied with raccoons. The species is mostly found in the cool temperate bamboo forest and mainly feeds on bamboo shoots. The adult grows up to 20-25 inches long, with its tail being about 11-19 inches.

These arboreal mammals are native to southwestern China and the eastern Himalayas.  They have been listed as vulnerable by the IUCN because of habitat loss. Their population declined in huge numbers due to fragmentation and hunting.

According to reports, it has been estimated that less than 25,000 mature individuals are existing in the wild. Because of their decreasing number, the Denver Zoo takes necessary measures to protect these species. And they have been successful in the case of red pandas. Prior to Daisy and Chewbacca, it was He-Ping and Sophia that were paired, and they produced six cubs between 2008 and 2009.