Justice for Suri: end the exploitation of red pandas for petting sessions!

We were truly saddened by the death of Suri, the cherished red panda at Paradise Park in Cornwall. While Suri was clearly loved by her keepers and her life helped raise money for conservation, her story brings a crucial and uncomfortable ethical debate to the forefront: Is it ever right to treat endangered, solitary wild animals like Red Pandas as props for public entertainment and hands-on interaction?

Suri was celebrated for participating in "visitor handling sessions," sitting on laps and being hand-fed by strangers. The scientific consensus is now undeniable: these "hands-on experiences" are a constant source of stress, they normalize the treatment of wild animals as pets, and they fundamentally undermine their welfare and natural behaviours.

Red Pandas are a solitary and shy species, with fewer than 10,000 left in the wild. Subjecting them to the chronic stress of constant human presence, being handled and having visitors close to them throughout the day, disrupts their natural sleeping and feeding cycles. These interactions force animals to suppress natural caution and adapt unnaturally to human demands. Worst of all, these sessions send a dangerous, misguided message to the public that wild animals are docile and suitable for close contact, potentially fueling the cruel and illegal exotic pet trade. We must stop prioritizing a 'cute' photo op over genuine well-being.

We, the undersigned, demand immediate and decisive action to end all non-essential public contact with endangered and solitary species in UK zoos and wildlife parks.

BIAZA and Defra must immediately mandate a swift end to all 'hands-on' public interactions—including feeding, petting, or lap-sitting—involving solitary, non-domesticated, and endangered species like Red Pandas, lemurs, and big cats. The focus of conservation fundraising must be redirected away from interaction sessions toward genuinely educational viewing experiences and robust in-situ (in-the-wild) conservation efforts. Welfare must always be prioritized over profit.

Furthermore, we need a Mandatory Review of Captive Breeding Programmes. Any such program, like the one Suri’s companion remains part of, must strictly prioritize genetic health and the potential for future reintroduction into secure habitats. These programs cannot simply serve to maintain a captive population for constant display.

We ask that Suri's passing serve as a catalyst for profound ethical change. Let her story mark the moment we collectively decide that the stress of constant human contact is too high a price for the conservation dollar. True conservation means respecting the animal's right to live a life free from unnecessary human interference and distress.

Sign this petition to tell UK parks: Keep the compassion, stop the contact. End the handling of our most vulnerable wild animals today.