Two red pandas — Thomas, a 4-year-old male, and Leela, a 4-year-old female — are joining the Oklahoma City Zoo this spring.
Thomas is transferring from the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, Virginia. Leela is transferring from the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium in Toledo, Ohio. Wasabi, a 1-year-old female red panda, will leave the Oklahoma City Zoo for the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska.
As a precaution, the Oklahoma City Zoo is currently holding Thomas and Leela in a medical quarantine. The zoo's workers hope the two red pandas will be on display for visitors by the middle of March, according to Eddie Witte, curator of birds, carnivores and small mammals for the zoo.
“As soon as they’re cleared out of quarantine, we’ll place them on exhibit,” Witte said.
The transfers are part of a “Species Survival Plan.” These plans are organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to promote the growth and genetic diversity of animal populations in the United States.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommended Thomas and Leela be sent to Oklahoma City because the zoo has been successful in breeding red pandas in the past, most recently with Wasabi in 2016.
“There are only about 10,000 (red pandas) left in the wild, so having this population in the (United) States helps ensure their survival,” Witte said.
For more information, visit the Oklahoma City Zoo’s website. The zoo also hosts a live webstream of its red panda habitat.
