Dorji, 10-month-old red panda, makes public debut at Beardsley Zoo

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — A new furry member of the Beardsley Zoo family is set to make their first public appearance over the holiday weekend.

Dorji, a 10-month-old red panda, that hails from the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah, is ready for patrons to view in the Natt Family Red Panda Habitat on site. The habitat, according to a release, was “designed to mimic the high altitudes and bamboo thickets of his native terrain, complete with engaging enrichment activities.”

Red pandas are gentle, arboreal animals native to the Himalayas and southern China. As a result of poaching and deforestation, they are currently an endangered species.

Dorji lost his mother shortly after birth and had to rely on his father early on to learn “to Panda.” His relocation to the Connecticut zoo was part of an endorsed conservation initiative.

According to a release, Dorji will live alongside his fellow red panda companion named Berry who is 14 years old.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Dorji. We have really high expectations that he and Berry will get along well. She’s a bit older and we expect that her maternal instincts will come through so that she can teach Dorji the ropes and really, ‘how to panda’!” Zoo Director, Gregg Dancho stated.

Among the staff, Dorji has expressed his sweet, inquisitive nature while being a fan of late-night snacks.

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