Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium welcomes new red panda named Marcy
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is welcoming an adorable new resident and friend for one of their most beloved residents.
Marcy, the 2-year-old red panda, is moving in from the Red River Zoo in Fargo, North Dakota. She arrived in Pittsburgh on Oct. 24, and visitors can now see her at the Forest Passage habitat in the zoo.
She joins Xia, the other red panda who lives in the Forest Passage at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.
Xia has been on her own since her mate, Kovu, died over the summer. He was 9-years-old. At the time, zoo officials said red pandas have a median life expectancy of 10 years in zoos. He arrived in Pittsburgh in 2015 from Columbus.
Xia is also from Red River Zoo.
Marcy is gradually getting accustomed to both her new habitat and fellow resident, zoo officials said.
"The initial goal when receiving a new red panda is to acclimate the animal to the many new experiences her new home provides, from meeting and understanding her new keepers and the daily activity of the space to learning every square inch of her home; location of food, water, and bathrooms; the movement of our guests; and the new sights, sounds, smells," Ray Bamrick, the zoo's lead keeper, said. "It is a great change to her life, and we work very hard at making these changes gradual and comforting."
Red pandas have two subspecies, zookeepers said. Marcy and Xia are of the Chinese red panda lineage, which "has a darker coat, redder face, and a greater color contrast between the distinctive rings on her tail." The other subspecies is the Himalayan red panda.
Marcy and Xia will now settle into the habitat together and greet zoo visitors.
"The goal is to provide comfort and opportunity for each panda, to coexist peacefully, to interact with
their keepers, and have a long, exceptional quality of life," Bamrick said.. "We look forward to guests
getting to know her better."
Red pandas are native to Asia, but are threatened in their native bamboo forests in the wild because of habitat loss, the zoo said.
For more information about Marcy, visit the zoo's website here.
