The team at the Lake District Wildlife Park and Armathwaite Hall Hotel near Keswick is showing their support for conservation by signing up to take part in a virtual 5km run organised by the Red Panda Network.
The endangered red panda species live in the wild in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal, China and Bhutan and it is estimated that only 2,500 remain in the wild. The wildlife park at Bassenthwaite is home to two red pandas, Mei Li and Charu, and they are an important part of the European Endangered Species breeding programme.
For the last seven years, the park and Armathwaite Hall Hotel next door have supported the Red Panda Network charity by making an annual donation. This money helps to pay the wages of Forest Guardians, who protect red pandas from poaching and work with local communities to prevent further destruction of the habitat and food of these skilful and acrobatic animals that predominantly stay in trees.
For the last three years the wildlife park team has taken fundraising a step further by taking on challenges while dressed up as red pandas, including climbing Skiddaw in howling wind and rain, and tackling the Via Ferrata Extreme at Honister Slate Mine.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic this year, the park’s keepers – with the appropriate team name of “Out of Puff Pandas” – completed a socially distanced 5km run on the Armathwaite Hall Estate, while other staff and employees at the Armathwaite Hall Hotel took on their own runs closer to home, including on the cliffs and beach at St Bees Head. The team clocked up around 60km of running in total.
In addition to raising awareness and money for the Red Panda Network, the running challenge has also helped the staff to appreciate the benefits of being outside in nature and keeping positive for the future.
Anyone wanting to make a donation to the Red Panda Network can visit: https://go.rallyup.com/run-for-red-pandas/1e1dde