Meet the Zoo: BeiLei, The New Red Panda

One of the most popular exhibits at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo just upped its cuteness factor.  The Red Panda has been an iconic species at the zoo since its reopening in 1993.  It is featured on banners and brochures and visitors have been charmed by the different individuals who have lived at the zoo over the years.

Qin (pronounced “chin”) arrived at Prospect Park Zoo a few years ago as part of a Species Survival Plan breeding recommendation with the zoo’s older female, Mei Lin.  While the two did what came naturally, Mei Lin failed to produce offspring.  Now past breeding age, Mei Lin has moved to the Philadelphia Zoo where she no doubt entrances Philly visitors.  Qin did not seem to mind having the nice big exhibit all to himself.  He amused himself sometimes by laying on his back and playing with his long curly tail or munching the bamboo that was now all his.  But zoo staff had other plans.

Last spring, two red pandas were born at the Assiniboine Zoo in Winnipeg, Canada.  The Species Survival Plan coordinator for red pandas targeted one of those female cubs for Prospect Park Zoo.  It has been almost a year, but little BeiLei (flower bud) finally arrived in Brooklyn recently to meet her new mate.  Introductions are sometimes tricky – will the animals even tolerate each other?  BeiLei was hand reared and spent little time on exhibit with other pandas – how would she react? 

With careful planning and a little luck, Qin and BeiLei‘s introduction was uneventful.  At this point, they seem to ignore each other but keepers are confident the two will soon become more than friends.  BeiLei is still very young and will not enter her first breeding cycle until the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the keepers are working to get her used to her big exhibit.  The interlocking tree structure for climbing, lots of green grass, a drinking pool, and of course, the smells of her neighbors (the porcupines and otters) are a little intimidating for little BeiLei.  So, her time outside with Qin is limited and keepers gradually get her accustomed to the great outdoors. 

Visitors coming to see BeiLei may only see Qin for a while until she is more comfortable outside with him. However, Qin delivers plenty of red panda punch as he keeps busy scent marking every inch of the exhibit, enjoying the climbing structure, munching bamboo, and garnering all the oohs and ahhs of visitors for himself.