Panda-monium arrives at the Zoo!

Have you heard? Red pandas are coming to the Minnesota Zoo! Thanks to funding provided by generous donors to the Minnesota Zoo Foundation, Red Panda Forest, an exciting, new habitat along the Minnesota Zoo’s Northern Trail, will open to guests this summer, 2025 But red pandas won’t be the only new faces in town! A multispecies habitat, Red Panda Forest will also feature tufted deer and red-crowned crane. 

With plenty of space to climb, roam, and explore, the new Red Panda Forest habitat presents a unique opportunity for the Zoo to feature three incredible species. Native to the high-altitude forests of the Himalayas, red pandas can be found in countries along the mountain range including Myanmar, China, Nepal, India, and Tibet. Tufted deer and red-crowned crane can both be found within similar regions.

Zoo staff agreed that these species were a great fit for cohabitation based not only on their shared ecosystems, but on the topography and size of the habitat. With triple the recommended space for red pandas living in human care, Red Panda Forest also provides ample room for tufted deer to run and weave through trees, and a large wading pond for red-crowned crane to take a mid-day dip, natural behaviors that will help Zoo-goers learn about and form connections with these animals. But these unique species also have something else in common — they all face dwindling populations in the wild due to factors like habitat degradation, climate change, and human interference.

Red pandas are endangered, while tufted deer are near threatened and red-crowned cranes are vulnerable. Each species is part of the AZA’s Species Survival Program (SSP), and the Minnesota Zoo has joined the red panda SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program where they will contribute to ongoing conservation efforts for the species.

As part of the Zoo’s mission, each new inhabitant of Red Panda Forest will serve as an invaluable animal ambassador for their wild counterparts, helping form meaningful connections between people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife.