WASHINGTON — The National Zoo is welcoming its newest residents: a mother-and-son pair of red pandas.
Visitors can now marvel at the exploits (see below) of Nutmeg and her cub Jackie, who made their debut Thursday at the zoo’s Asia Trail area. Jackie was born this past summer at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.
Red pandas are an endangered species, and according to SCBI, their population is believed to have declined by half over the last two decades.
The zoo and SCBI have long worked toward the red panda’s conservation, with more than 100 surviving cubs born since 1962.
Welcome home, Nutmeg and Jackie! This morning, the mother-son red panda duo made their debut and explored their habitat. Stop by Asia Trail and say hi to our newest residents! PLAN YOUR VISIT: https://t.co/EsTHDX3ywE. pic.twitter.com/RDylUnJfS0
— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) January 25, 2018
