September 15th is 2012 International Red Panda Day at Henry Vilas Zoo



The Red Panda Network saves wild red pandas and preserves their habitat through the empowerment of local communities by adaptive community-based research, education, and carbon mitigation.

Henry Vilas Zoo is doing our part by hosting an International Red Panda Day event on Saturday, September 15th from noon to 3pm. Join us for Red Panda activities for kids of all ages.

We'll be accepting donations that day to support the wild Red Panda conservation initiatives of the Red Panda Network.




We have some great activities lined up for you:

• Noon-3:00 pm - Red Panda themed activities (Conservation Education Pavilion)
  
• 12:30-1:00pm - Meet the Red Panda Keeper (at the main, outdoor Red Panda Exhibit)
  
• 1:45-2:00pm - Red Panda Training Demo (at the main, indoor Red Panda Exhibit)
  
• 2:30-2:45pm - Red Panda Painting Demo (at the main, indoor Red Panda Exhibit)

You'll also have an opportunity to purchase exclusive Sha-Lei art and other red panda items.

Red Panda Day Activity Packet
Be sure to check out this Red Panda Activity Packet before or after your trip to Henry Vilas Zoo's International Red Panda Day celebration!


Become a Red Panda Ranger and Help Raise Awareness of Red Panda Conservation!
According to the Red Panda Network's website, a Red Panda Ranger is a special title given to children that help spread the word about red pandas. Look in the Red Panda Network's activity packet at the link above to see what activities you can do for International Red Panda Day to become a red panda ranger.

Contributions received from International Red Panda Day will support the operation of a new community conservation center in Nepal. The Red Panda Network Community Conservation Resource Center is a community initiative located on the route to Pathivara shrine, an important Hindu pilgrimage site on the peak of a mountain, in Taplejung district of northeastern Nepal.

The Center will be located at the crossroads of two major trekking trails, the pilgrimage trail to Pathivara, which attracts 50,000 visitors a year, and the trekking route to Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, which attracts 2,000 foreign tourists a year.

The Red Panda Network's plan is to open the Center on International Red Panda Day 2013.

The goal of the Center is to educate visitors on the value of their local natural resources and the unique endangered species that call the region home, focusing on red panda. It hopes to be a demonstration site for innovative conservation technology that local villagers can implement in their own villages and homes.

Befriend a Red Panda
You can also support Red Panda's right at Henry Vilas Zoo through our Befriend an Animal Program.