Red Panda Arrives at Henry Vilas Zoo

October 04, 2007
Joanne Haas, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 Jim Hubing, Director, Henry Vilas Zoo, (608) 266-4732.
County Executive

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk late today welcomed Chang Tan, a red panda, as the newest resident to the recently completed Children’s Zoo at the Henry Vilas Zoo. “We are thrilled to have Chang Tan. He’ll be fun to watch and learn about. He’ll help visitors understand a lot about endangered species,” Falk said. Chang Tan, a 5-year-old male, previously lived at the Red River Zoo in Fargo, N.D., in the Red Panda Species Survival Plan administered by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The association recommended Chang Tan be moved to Vilas and eventually paired with a female. Red, or lesser pandas live in the cool temperate forests of Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces of China and from Western Nepal through Northern Burma, where they share their habitat with giant pandas. Red pandas have long bushy ringed tails, weigh about 15 pounds, and eat berries, leaves and blossoms. “Red pandas are endangered due to habitat loss. Fewer than 2,500 remain in their natural habitat,” Zoo Director Jim Hubing said. “This is another excellent example of AZA-accredited zoos working together to help their visitors enjoy and learn about endangered animals.” ###