In November, the Lehigh Valley Zoo announced their plan to add red pandas to their list of residents on the Schnecksville property, with the expectation that the new habitat would be ready to welcome members of the endangered species sometime this year.
That time has come, according to a press release from the zoo, which announced the arrival of a pair of red pandas. The brothers, named Cosmo and Meeko, came from the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama.
The Lehigh Valley Zoo has been working closely with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to ensure that the habitat is up to standard. Bringing the red panda brothers from Alabama was also accomplished through the AZA’s Red Panda Species Survival Plan. The program seeks to manage ex situ species, or species that are away from their natural location, to ensure the wellbeing of threatened and endangered animals.
LV Zoo is a participant in the AZA’s Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program, which connects member institutions to protect threatened animals, establish recovery plans, implement conservation activities, and report on conservation progress.
Red pandas currently have a population of less than 10,000 in the wild. LV Zoo intends to educate guests about the species and the importance of conservation. They’ve also pledged support for the Red Panda Network, an organization that teaches those living alongside red pandas to live harmoniously with local wildlife.
Zoo officials are waiting to bring the red pandas out until the grand opening of the Rothrock Red Panda Peak on Friday, June 7. Gates will open for members at 9 AM and for all other guests at the normal opening time of 10 AM.
Tickets are available at lvzoo.org.
