How I “Met” Red Pandas

How I “Met” Red Pandas: A Personal Story from the Author!

Almost a year has passed since I first started my channel. And then I thought: it would be nice to share the story of my first encounter with red pandas — my first impressions, my journey, and, most importantly, how I shaped my life when these cute ambassadors of our planet were nearby! 🌏

🤔 Red pandas are red bears, I thought when I first saw the animated film about a red panda, widely known as Turning Red. Yes, you understood correctly — my acquaintance with red pandas began back in 2022 when I first watched this amazing Pixar and Disney film.

🔍 The name “red panda” sounded unusual to me, and I got curious, so I looked up real red pandas on Google. That moment changed everything. The photos I saw weren’t just cute — they touched something deep inside me.

🐾 From that moment, my bond with these animals grew stronger, especially after joining a subculture focused on creative self-expression and love for anthropomorphic characters — it helped me feel their personality and cuteness more deeply while interacting with others in the community.

🫂 Gradually, my love for them deepened, and for the first time, I learned about their real life: forest fragmentation, shrinking habitats, poaching — all of this awakened a sense of responsibility for nature in me. Everything truly came together in 2024, when I saw red pandas in person for the first time.

♥️ Their names were Ryzhik and Zayn — especially Ryzhik, who became the heart of my journey. Meeting them at the Moscow Zoo made it all completely real. They were smaller than I expected (body length 50–65 cm plus a fluffy tail of 28–50 cm), incredibly gentle, and full of quiet individuality. That moment was a turning point. I realized I needed to protect them, speak for them, and dedicate part of my life to their survival.

🐾 It was no longer just admiration — it became my future mission!

🌿 A few months after my first visit to the red pandas at the Moscow Zoo, the idea came to create a channel and share my thoughts and feelings about them. Building an audience wasn’t easy, but thanks to you, I was able to visit Ryzhik again and show him to you — alive, loving, and kind! This moment will stay in my heart forever.

❤️‍🔥 It’s especially amazing to realize how much I enjoy participating in Red Panda Network events: Run For Red Panda, International Red Panda Day 2025, Fahlo bracelets, and much more — all of which I talk about and invite you to join! First love for animals feels like a fairy tale about an animal paradise, but once you realize the real problems of nature, you become stronger and more determined to help protect this species — in my case, red pandas.

🫂♥️ I am very grateful to my like-minded friends: Aly Red PandaNyak, World of the Red Panda, and Pandyushkin for sharing such unique content about red pandas, helping us unite in this mission and tell more and more people about them! And to you, dear readers, thank you so much for reading my posts and getting inspired! A panda gives everyone a little bit of kindness and love.

🎄 Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! May our wishes and dreams come true in the new year! Red pandas — forever!

🌿 P.S. I hope my story was enjoyable as a personal tale — I’m very grateful you read it to the end. Writing long texts is like keeping a personal diary and sharing it with you ;)