Red Pandas Return to National Zoo After Hiatus

Red pandas returned to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo after a two-year hiatus, the zoo announced on Thursday, January 7. The pandas will be on exhibit at the zoo’s small mammal house until upgrades to a permanent home are finished later this year. The pandas, both a year old, are named Tusa and Asa and came to the zoo based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.

The red pandas join the zoo ahead of baby panda Bei Bei making his public debut on January 16.

In the wild, red pandas are listed as endangered, and the species is considered in decline. Credit: YouTube/Smithsonian’s National Zoo