Baltimore County students create red panda-inspired computer game for Maryland Zoo

The Maryland Zoo’s red pandas have inspired a new computer game created by three Baltimore County high school students.

“Red Panda Rush” was developed as a class project by George Washington Carver Center for Arts & Technology senior Martin Burgunder, along with classmates Isaac Sigrist and Jack Feldges.

The desktop game has an old-school arcade feel, with players using their keyboards to guide a red panda as it runs and jumps over obstacles.

Burgunder has volunteered at the Maryland Zoo for more than three years and saw the arrival of the Zoo’s red pandas in June as a chance to combine his interests in animals and game development.

He recruited Sigrist and Feldges to work on the art and animation before pitching the idea to the Zoo.

“When I heard about the Zoo receiving red pandas, I saw it as an opportunity to combine my passions in volunteering and game design,” Burgunder said.

Red pandas Ember and Aurora arrived at the zoo this summer and moved into a new habitat in Main Valley. Their arrival marked the zoo’s first combination of a new habitat and new animal species in more than 30 years.

The game is available on desktop computers, but not mobile devices.

You can play Red Panda Rush on the Maryland Zoo's website.

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