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SALT LAKE CITY — William, the Chinese red panda, will no longer be alone in his enclosure at Utah's Hogle Zoo, as a female red panda from Ohio will be joining him.
Kiaria was transferred from the Toledo Zoo on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquarium's red panda species survival plan. Seven-year-old Kiaria is described as "curious and go-with-the-flow," a statement from Hogle Zoo said.
"As a known biscuit burglar, Kiaria enjoys snacking on fruit, bamboo and biscuits when she's not exploring her new habitat or curled up for a nap," the zoo said.
The zoo has slowly been introducing Kiaria and William through mesh barriers and by swapping habitats so they can be familiarized with each other's scent. Soon, the two Chinese red pandas will share a space in the Asian Highlands area of the zoo.
"As the younger of the two, William is cautiously curious about his new companion, while Kiaria, having lived alongside other red pandas before, has embraced the introductions with her usual go-with-the-flow attitude," the zoo said.
William, a now 1-year-old Chinese red panda, came to the zoo in November after the zoo transferred its two Himalayan red pandas to Connecticut and Virginia. William's arrival marked a transfer in the zoo's care to Chinese red pandas.
Utah's Hogle Zoo trades Himalayan red pandas for Chinese red panda
Utah's Hogle Zoo is transitioning its red panda care for its newest resident William, a Chinese red panda.Both species of red pandas are native to mountainous forests in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Red pandas have experienced a 40% decline in population in the last decade and are considered endangered due to habitat loss, degradation and poaching.
Both red pandas can now be visited at the Hogle Zoo.
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