Help us stop panda poaching on Saturday, September 16: International Red Panda Day (IRPD) 2023! Gifts matched x2 thanks to support from Scentbird and Zoo Boise.

Join RPN's Pema Sherpa and Haris Rai (hosted by Terrance Lee) for a virtual talk about our anti-poaching initiative, the Himalayan Habre Center, the expansion of conservation programs to new districts, and other milestones we have reached in our mission to save red pandas! Watch it here or on RPN's Facebook page.

Who came first: the red panda or the giant panda? We'll give you a hint — it's the same panda that is also, unfortunately, the endangered panda.

That's right, red pandas are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and there may be as few as 2,500 remaining in the wild. Deforestation is the primary threat to red pandas but poaching threatens the survival of these already vulnerable populations.

Design by Sripriya Prasad

Red panda habitat in Nepal is largely unprotected and fragmented into 400 small forest patches, making it easy for local people to access and extract resources and wildlife. Every ten days, a red panda pelt is smuggled into Nepal's black market. Poverty, misinformation, and insufficient enforcement of illegal trade laws are fueling red panda poaching.

How are we responding to these threats? Through community-based anti-poaching programs! We are committed to educating communities, providing alternative income and sustainable livelihood opportunities, and enhancing the capacity of local and national level law enforcement agencies on anti-poaching investigation skills. Our goal is No Panda Poaching in eastern Nepal's Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung (PIT) corridor!

And we know we can make a difference because the red panda population is improving in the areas we are working in eastern Nepal!

We now have 12 anti-poaching networks in Nepal! This encouraging progress is made possible by your support.

Thanks to you, they will not become the forgotten panda. We will save the last of the first panda!

Learn why we need to save this unique, important, and endangered species.

* Funds raised for IRPD 2023 will also support our other community-based programs including Plant A Red Panda Home.

Here's how you can help:

Start A Fundraiser - click on the 'Fundraise' button at the top of the page to start a campaign in minutes. All gifts matched x2 thanks to support from First Panda Challenger's Scentbird and Zoo Boise! Check out our IRPD fundraising toolkit for everything you need to fundraise for the first panda. The top fundraisers will win awesome prizes!

Organize an Event - Work with the zoo, school, or business you work at or attend to celebrate this important day for education and conservation. Register your event here and be sure to check out the IRPD 2023 Activity Book designed by Darby Minter!

Become a Red Panda Ranger - This is a fun and educational opportunity for kids to help us raise red panda awareness They will receive a badge for every level they complete and an official certificate when they finish all five levels!

Spread The Word - tell your friends and family on social media why you love red pandas and why you are celebrating IRPD 2023! Include a fact banner (designed by Laura Siu!) in our post and include these hashtags: #IRPD2023 #NoPandaPoaching #PlantARedPandaHome

Need more inspiration for IRPD outreach? Learn about red pandas on our facts webpage or factsheet or read The Heat Is On: How Red Pandas Survive the Summer

Campaign Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to the top three individual fundraisers* for the IRPD 2023 campaign.

First Prize: Red Panda Shirt + Panda Plush + Organic Tea + Tote Bag

Second Prize: Panda Plush + Organic Tea + Tote Bag

3rd Prize: Organic Tea + Tote Bag

*A minimum of $500 must be raised to be eligible for prizes.

Zoos and Schools Around the World
Celebrating IRPD 2023!

Wish to add your organization? Let us know here.

Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, IA, USA
We will be celebrating International Red Panda Day with special events, educational activities, and keeper chats throughout the Zoo.
Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington, DE, USA
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, OH, USA
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
Join us digitally on 9/13/2023 for a Facebook and Instagram Live (@CTbeardsleyzoo) at 1:00 EST to learn more about the Red Panda and how you can celebrate and support this amazing species! On Saturday, September 16th, visit the zoo to view the resident Red Panda and enjoy a presentation of artifacts and information about the amazing species!
Diergaarde Blijdorp - Royal Rotterdam Zoo, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
We celebrate International Red Panda Day by handing out the Red Panda activity booklet (translated), and with information points where our enthusiastic volunteers tell you everything you want to know about Red Pandas and RPN. On this day we also share a video where the EEP Coordinator for the red panda studbook raises awareness for conservation of the species and about collaborations with Red Panda Network and Rotterdam Zoo.
Faruk Yalçin Zoo
FYZoo will be holding activities to celebrate and spotlight red pandas for the day. We have specially prepared infographic brochures that will be distributed to visitors, and educational workshops will be held with children.
Giardino Zoologico di Pistoia, Pistoia, Italy
Greater Vancouver Zoo, Aldergrove, BC, Canada
This Saturday, September 16th, join us for #InternationalRedPandaDay at the GVZoo! We are so excited to announce that Maple & Mei Mei will soon be receiving their (SSP) recommendations and will be starting the next step on their conservation journey. We’ll have enrichment and fun activities where you can even help us guess who Maple & Mei Mei will be paired up with! One winner will be randomly selected from all the entries during our on-site event to win a Red Panda prize pack, including plushes, toys, zoo merch & more! So come join us this #InternationalRedPandaDay and help celebrate B.C.'s first-ever Red Panda cubs!
Greensboro Science Center. Greensboro, NC, USA
Join us on Saturday, September 16 from 10 – 2 pm to celebrate International Red Panda Day! Participate in a new scavenger hunt this year by looking for the special red panda icons located throughout our lower zoo! We invite you to also stop by our educational tables located along the lower zoo path to learn about red panda adaptations, diet, and conservation efforts – you can even try your hand at walking like a red panda. Paintings created by our resident red pandas will also be available for purchase, with proceeds going toward conservation efforts. Red Panda Day activities are included with general admission and GSC membership.
Greenville Zoo, Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Hamilton Zoo, Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand
We will be running a special Red Panda Day keeper talk on Saturday the 16th Sept at 12pm.
Le Parc Animalier de Sainte Croix
Le Parc de Clères
Le Zoo d'Amiens
Le Zoo de Lille
Mill Mountain Zoo, Roanoak, VA, USA
Our Zoo has a day-long celebration of Red Panda Day that features chats about Red Pandas, crafts, games, and more.
Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz, Görlitz, Germany
Social media posts commented feeding with information about the RPN project
Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo, Green Bay, Wisconsin, US
The Red Panda Day event will be held on September 9, 2023, from 9 a.m. til 2 p.m. - join us!
Panda Parade, North York, Ontario, Canada
Ocean Park Hong Kong
Come to visit our three adorable red pandas - Rou Rou, Cong Cong, and Tai Shan on International Red Panda Day (16 Sep 2023). See you there!
Panda Parade, North York, Ontario, Canada
Parco Faunistico La Torbiera, Agrate. Conturbia, Italy
We are organizing a great event for the 2023 International Red Panda Day. Join us to discover these marvelous endangered creatures and participate in our surprising day! We have been supporting RPN for years!
Parco Natura Viva - Fondazione A.R.C.A.,. Verona, Bussolengo, Italy
Every year, we hold an event for visitors to celebrate the red panda and inform the public about the biology of the species and its situation in the wild. We will offer children creative activities --including drawings & masks-- face-painting and telling a story about the panda using the kamishibai technique to raise funds for the project.
Parc Merveilleux, Bettembourg, Luxembourg
Parco Natura Viva - Fondazione A.R.C.A.,. Verona, Bussolengo, Italy
Every year, we propose an event for visitors to celebrate the red panda and inform the public about the biology of the species and its situation in the wild. We will offer children creative activities --including drawings & masks-- face-painting and telling a story about the panda using the kamishibai technique to raise funds for the project.
Red Panda Museum, Hong Kong
Red Panda Museum themed an art exhibition at Mong Kok on September 16th. On the 16th International Red Panda Day The booth of the Red Panda Museum will also prepare commemorative stamps for International Red Panda Day for everyone to use and distribute free gifts to promote red panda culture.
Red Panda VTubers
We are gathering 25+ red panda VTubers for an all-day charity Twitch stream to help raise money for the Red Panda Network! The stream starts at 9 a.m. EDT and goes all day long.
Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, Kansas, US
Settlers Way Elementary, Sugarland, TX, USA
Tiergarten Kleve, Kleve, NRW, Germany
Tohoku Safari Park, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima, Japan
We have panels, hand out materials for children, and there will be talks by our keepers so visitors can know about red panda ecology on Red Panda Day!
Upper Syari Govt. Jr. High School, Gangtok Sikkim, India
Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay, Wales
Join us for a day all about red pandas! Learn all about these special keepers with keeper talks, panda field stations, and panda activities. All working towards raising funds for the Red Panda Network and red panda conservation.
Zoologischer Stadtgarten Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany (Species Protection Day)
On September 10, 2023, the entire day at the Karlsruhe Zoological Garden will once again be dedicated to species conservation. This time, 36 booths with interesting information and hands-on activities will be located throughout the entire grounds. Through its Species Protection Foundation, Karlsruhe Zoo has been directly supporting species protection projects both locally and globally for many years. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be information at the booths about species conservation work, projects, and cooperations. The zoo itself will provide insights into the topics of biodiversity and species conservation and the work of the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Conservation Foundation. At the stands, many quiz or puzzle activities are offered especially for children. Knowledge transfer for the entire family and active participation are the focus of this day.
Yagiyama Zoological Park, Sendai City, Japan
Zoo Duisburg, Duisburg, Germany
We're celebrating Red Panda Day all day long with lots of information and activities related to the first panda.
Zoological Society of East Anglia, Banham, Norfolk, England
ZooMontana, Billings. Montana, USA

Thank you to the zoos and schools around the world for helping us to celebrate IRPD 2022!

Akron Zoo, Akron, OH, USA
Assiniboine Park Conservancy & Zoo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, IA, USA
We plan to celebrate the day with educational activities and games.
Charles Paddock Zoo, Atascadero, CA, USA
Come celebrate Internationa

International Red Panda Day 2023

Join our anti-poaching campaign to keep red pandas alive and wild!

Team Members