BOISE, Idaho — Zoo Boise has announced the arrival of two endangered Styan's Red Pandas.
The Styan is a subspecies of the red panda that is larger, has thicker hair, and is usually found in colder environments than the traditional Eastern Himalayan native.
The two new arrivals, a male from San Diego and a female from Milwaukee, are part of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan, a conservation effort in place to help pair and breed the endangered species.
Zoo officials have yet to name the new arrivals, though expect names to be determined at this year's annual Zoobilee fundraising event.
Visitors to Zoo Boise will find these two on display in the Red Panda Exhibit near the Zoo Farm entrance between 9:00am-5:00pm daily.
Veteran Himalayan Red Panda, Spud (13 years old), will still be observing guests from his home near the carousel.
FUN FACT: The Chinese name for the red panda is "hun-ho," meaning "fire fox." Almost half of the red panda's total body length is in its tail.
In conjunction with this announcement, Zoo Boise is building a state-of-the-art Red Panda Complex that will provide ample space for multiple pairs of red pandas to live and play, additional climbing opportunities for the pandas, nursery windows for guests to observe cubs, accessible pathways and more. The new, larger exhibit will resemble an Asian forest full of lush vegetation.
