£5k donation in memory of 'poster boy' Kush

The Curraghs Wildlife Park will donate £5,000 to help endangered red pandas in the wild.

The news follows the sad death of Kush who was put down earlier this month following a short illness.

The much-loved red panda shot to fame in recent years after escaping from his enclosure on two separate occasions before being safely returned to the park.

The donation to the Red Panda Network will be in his memory and will go towards anti-poaching projects and tree planting in Nepal.

General Manager Kathleen Graham, said: "Kush was a poster boy for his species and definitely did his bit to raise awareness- so I know he’d approve. 

"The Red Panda Network is making a real difference and this substantial donation will boost efforts to secure land and plant thousands of trees".

Recent estimates suggest there are only 10,000 Red Pandas left in their natural habitat, but experts believe that figure could be as low as 2,500.