Drusillas Park appeal for bamboo

Red pandas Mulan and Maja consume up to 2kg of bamboo each every day which equates to 20,000 leaves.

Head zookeeper Sophie Leadbitter said, “Our own plantation has been struggling to keep up with the pandas’ enormous appetite, if any green fingered individuals out there have some fresh bamboo they can spare for our red pandas, we would be so grateful.”

A spokesperson for the park said, “Any bamboo is good, as long as it’s tall, fresh and healthy plants.

“Black bamboo is a particular red panda favourite, and both Mulan and Maja enjoy small, leafy stems.

“It is really important the bamboo is cut freshly on the day it’s delivered to the park, so Zookeepers can get it straight into storage and keep it fresh for our pandas.”

The head zookeeper said, “We grow our own in our grounds to supply the required bamboo but our gardening team have now had to ask us to stop ‘raiding’ their bamboo as there is very little left.

“We are therefore appealing to the public to help.”

If you would like to donate and help the red pandas, please email [email protected] or call 01323 874100.