CT's Beardsley Zoo welcomes pair of red pandas as part of Species Survival Plan
News 12 met Vega at the zoo's Natt Family Red Panda Habitat, which recently welcomed two red pandas.
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Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is home to 350 animals, but on Wednesday, Vega Harvey had her heart set on seeing one specific species while visiting from Sweden.
“It's my favorite animal, and I love them so much,” said the young girl.
News 12 met Vega at the zoo's Natt Family Red Panda Habitat, which recently welcomed two red pandas.
Ponya, a female, arrived in May from the Detroit Zoo.
Pilatus, called Pilot for short, came this month from the Chattanooga Zoo. Both are about a year old.
“They're really cute—like every panda fan loves them,” Vega said. “Their ears are short, but they're really fluffy, and their tails help them navigate in the trees and help them balance.”
Vega’s not the small mammal's only fan, according to Jim Knox,the zoo's curator of education.
“Red pandas have their admirers and their devotees who travel the country. We've had folks travel from Washington state, Indiana, from Florida, from California just to see our guys," explained Know. "They are some of the most charismatic animals."
But there's a bigger purpose to the pair's presence. They were moved to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo as part of the Species Survival Plan—a national conservation effort which aims to save rare populations though breeding.
Red pandas are endangered with less than 10,000 in the world.
“They face many challenges. These guys are high altitude species found in the Himalaya, so we're talking about animals found at high altitude in China, Nepal, Bhutan, and as such, that habitat is increasingly under pressure from human development,” Knox told News 12.
Through the Species Survival Plan, several characteristics including age and genetics are used to pair up male and female animals who have the best chance of mating.
“The ultimate hope is that these two will form the nucleus of a wonderful and absolutely adorable red panda family—part of the Species Survival Plan to raise the number of red pandas in the word because the world needs more red pandas,” Knox stated. “Without programs like the SSP, animals like this could face extinction.”
So, is a baby red panda in the zoo’s future?
“That would be probably the cutest thing ever,” Vega said.
Only time will tell.
“So far, so good,” Knox said crossing his fingers. “They're getting along swimmingly. It’s a good thing.”
Catch the red pandas on the zoo's live camera feeds on its website.
