Zoo Atlanta welcomes two red pandas from Zoo Knoxville

Red pandas Ruby (left) and Rose (right) (Zoo Atlanta)

By Ellie Parker

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Two female red pandas are the newest arrivals to Zoo Atlanta.

Ruby and Rose arrived Feb. 23 from Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Red Panda Species Survival Plan. Jackie, the male red panda previously at Zoo Atlanta, is being moved to Zoo Knoxville.

Ruby and Rose are Himalayan red pandas, which are native to native to Nepal, Bhutan and parts of India. The species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are threatened by habitat loss, poaching for their pelts and capture for the illegal pet trade.

Red pandas are a different species from giant pandas. The two share a distant common ancestor but are not closely related.

The pair will be viewable by the public in the coming weeks.

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Ellie Parker

Ellie Parker joined Atlanta News First as a Digital Content Producer in July 2022.