19th September International Red Panda Day

I have written about this day before here and here, but given the news a couple of weeks ago I thought I would revisit it. Ravi, a red panda at Taronga Zoo, near where I teach and where the students who are Zoo Friends, often go, even for afternoon tea and a stroll before going home was sent to Adelaide Zoo in the hope of mating with a female red panda there. Two days after he arrived, he escaped. See these news articles here and here and filmclip. It makes for a good story to share with a class and an excuse to read more about them. This tale had a good ending. Earlier in the year a red panda escaped from Symbio Wildlife Park on the outskirts of Sydney and the outcome for this red panda was not good news. With an older class of students who have read these news articles, it would make a good debate topic about whether or not red pandas should be kept in captivity.

As well as what we already had, the library now has a new book in the Zoe's Rescue Zoo series, The Rowdy Red Panda which features a very naughty red panda. Perhaps just like Ravi. 

See other post for suggested reading. If you can find Pip and the Bamboo Path by Jesse Hodgson, it is a beautiful book from Flying Eye Books.