Red panda Esha arrives at Jersey Zoo
17 July 2026
Jersey Zoo has welcomed yet another new resident to its grounds this summer. Five-year old red panda Esha has joined the zoo from Peak Wildlife Park and is already exploring her new home in the woods.
Red pandas are found in the bamboo forests in the eastern Himalayas. Whilst they share their name with giant pandas, they are not closely related. The name panda is thought to come from a Nepali word ‘ponya’ which means ‘bamboo eater’, something red pandas spend much of their day doing. They even have an extra thumb on each front paw which helps them grip the bamboo whilst they eat it. Spending most of their lives high up in the trees, their big bushy tail helps them balance as they climb from branch to branch.
Sadly, red pandas are now listed as Endangered and are legally protected in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal. They face threats in the wild such as habitat loss, human interference and poaching.
Speaking about Esha’s arrival, Mary-Anne Jones, Team Leader, Mammals at Jersey Zoo said: “We are over the moon to welcome Esha, the red panda into the Jersey Zoo family. So far, Esha has settled in well, growing in confidence both with her new keepers and in her amazing new enclosure.
Our new red panda represents one of the incredible species found in the forests of the Himalayas. Hundreds of miles away, in the grasslands of Assam, Durrell has spent decades helping save one of the world's rarest mammals, the pygmy hog. Together, these species remind us that protecting India's wildlife means protecting many different habitats, from mountain forests to tropical grasslands.
We are so excited for our guests to see Esha scaling the dazzling heights of her exciting new enclosure.”
Visitors hoping to spot Esha, can find her next to the zoo’s silvery marmosets, although they may need to look up to spot her climbing in the trees!