Red pandas moved to air-conditioned rooms

BURSA

As the weather gets hotter, the red pandas at Bursa Zoo are being kept cool in their air-conditioned shelter.

Bursa Zoo is a full member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and is home to two red pandas. These cute animals are among the most popular at the zoo.

Red pandas come from the Himalayas and don’t like temperatures over 23 degrees Celsius. That’s why, during warm days, they spend time in a special air-conditioned room made just for them.

They are about 50–60 centimeters long, with tails up to 50 centimeters and weigh around 10 kilograms. Their keepers feed them bamboo, apples, pears, grapes and bananas.

In the morning, they like to rest and move around in the trees. But when the sun gets stronger, they are inside to stay cool.

Their caretaker, Yasin Yurtlu, mentioned that the red pandas are provided with a diet consisting of a mix of fruits.

“They don’t like hot weather,” he said. “They’re more active and playful when it is cold. When it gets really hot, they usually rest in the shade.”

Yurtlu added that one of the pandas is male and the other is female. He also said that all animals at the zoo live in areas designed to be as close to their natural homes as possible.

“Before we bring in an animal, we learn about where it lives in the wild and prepare a space that fits its needs,” he said. “Red pandas don’t jump far, but they like to climb, so we built their home that way. If the animals are happy, we are happy too.”

Located in the Osmangazi district, Bursa Zoo covers over 200,000 square meters and includes 11 ponds, 2,000 trees, 50,000 bushes and 150,000 ground plants. It is home to 1,112 animals from 150 species.

The zoo houses many animals, including lions, tigers, leopards, hyenas, vultures, llamas, giraffes, koalas, tapirs, kangaroos and iguanas. It welcomes around 1 million visitors each year.