Paradise Wildlife Park's red panda cub moves zoos

Tashi, the red panda cub nicknamed Little Red, was born at Paradise Wildlife Park on 16 July 2022

A red panda cub once hailed "a symbol of hope" for the endangered species is moving to another UK zoo.

Tashi, nicknamed Little Red, who was born to mother Tilly at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, on 16 July 2022 moves to Marwell Zoo near Southampton on Thursday.

His father Nam Pang died about a month before the cub's birth. It was the first time the pair had conceived.

A zoo spokesman said it was a "bittersweet moment".

Tashi was born about a month after his father died

Paradise Wildlife Park is part of the European Ex-Situ Breeding Programme, which aims to create a safety net for endangered species in the wild.

Tashi's parents had been part of the programme for four years before the cub was born.

The zoo said the birth had reached more than 140 news outlets across the globe and raised conversations about the conservation of the species.

At the time, Aaron Whitnall, the zoo's operations co-ordinator, said the cub had become "a symbol of hope after the tragic passing of Nam Pang", who died from Addison's disease, more commonly know to affect dogs.

"For his memory and legacy to live on is more than we ever expected," Mr Whitnall said.

Mother Tilly (left) and Tashi will be ambassadors for their breed at their zoos

The zoo said Tashi had been crate training in the lead-up to his move to Marwell Zoo and had been doing incredibly well.

A spokesman said: "This is a truly bittersweet moment, we are very proud of how Tashi has raised an incredible awareness for the species.

"Tashi has grown into a strong, confident red panda and as with all animal moves in zoos this is incredibly important for awareness and conservation of species."

Red pandas are classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to hunting and habitat loss, which has caused a 50% decline in the species over the last 20 years, leaving only an estimated 2,500 in the wild.

They are typically found in mountainous forests in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Nam Pang, the father of Little Red, died a month before the cub was born