Potter Park Zoo has recently welcomed a new male red panda named “Doofah.”
Doofah was born at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, June 21, 2018. He is coming to Potter Park Zoo in hopes for a successful breeding in the 2020.
Doofah and Maliha (Potter Park Zoo’s female red panda) are a recommended breeding pair from the Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Breeding recommendations come to AZA accredited zoos from a group of animal experts who find the best genetic matches for the species. The mission of the SSP is to maintain healthy and genetically diverse populations of animals living within the 236 AZA accredited zoos and to enhance conservation of this species in the wild.
Rupert Jr., our previous male, was transferred to the Pueblo Zoo in Pueblo, Colorado, based on a recommendation from the SSP to pair him with a new female. Rupert Jr. fathered two cubs here at Potter Park Zoo in 2016.
Red panda are native to Asia, from Nepal to the Sichuan province in China and are currently endangered. To learn more about the red panda and conservation efforts on their behalf, visit www.redpandanetwork.org.
