Visitors to the Reid Park Zoo are in for a special treat: Red pandas will be coming to Arizona for the first time.
The endangered red pandas will be in their new habitat from November through March, before they make their way to their final destination in Utah, Candis Martin, a zoo spokeswoman, wrote in a news release.
Reid Park Zoo is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other accredited zoos to bring two red pandas to Tucson while their permanent habitat in Utah is being prepared, Martin said, adding that they won’t be arriving at the same time.
The zoo wants to make sure the red pandas adjust to their new surroundings, so there’s no set open date for their Tucson debut, Martin said.
People are asked to follow the Reid Park Zoo on Facebook and check the website for more information on the exhibit’s opening.
The temporary exhibit has been funded by the Tucson Parks Foundation.
“We are excited to be a part of this special, never-before-seen exhibit that will not only benefit the Tucson community but further our mission,” Dane Woll, president of the foundation, said in the release.
Red pandas, which aren’t related to giant pandas, are native to China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, the release said.
They weigh between 7 and 13 pounds, and 95 percent of their diet is made up of bamboo, according to the release.
