Red Panda Arrives at Happy Hollow Zoo

<p><strong>SAN JOSE<&sol;strong> &&num;8211&semi; Happy Hollow Park &amp&semi; Zoo is excited to welcome a one-year-old male red panda&comma; Twix&comma; to the zoo family&period; The zoo has been committed to the care and conservation of this endangered species for nearly a decade and is excited to have this animal once again in residence for guests to visit and learn about&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We’re thrilled to welcome Twix to his new home at Happy Hollow Park &amp&semi; Zoo&comma;” said City Manager Jennifer Maguire&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;His arrival is an exciting new addition to the zoo family&comma; and just like how San José is celebrated for its rich diversity&comma; Twix embodies the same uniqueness and vibrant spirit as our community&period; We look forward to seeing him become a fan favorite at Happy Hollow Park &amp&semi; Zoo&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Red pandas are natural innovators — agile&comma; adaptable&comma; and always climbing upward&comma;” said Mayor Matt Mahan&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;So what better home for Happy Hollow’s newest resident&comma; Twix&comma; than San José&quest; We’re thrilled to welcome Twix and look forward to seeing children and families connect with the importance of conservation through his story&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Twix has moved into the red panda habitat in the Zoo in the Hollow&period; He may choose to stay inside at times while acclimating to his new home&period; If you don’t see him in the main habitat&comma; be sure to take a peek through the window into the red panda night house&comma; just around the corner&excl; This climate-controlled space provides refuge from the heat on warm days&comma; and a quiet place to rest if he wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of zoo visitors&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Born at Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park in June 2024&comma; Twix has been resident at Zoo Boise for the last several months while the Red Panda Species Survival Plan worked to finalize the best long-term placement for him&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Species Survival Plans are programs of the Association of Zoo &amp&semi; Aquariums&comma; of which Happy Hollow is an accredited member&period; They take into account the genetics and demographics of every member of a species currently housed at accredited facilities and partner facilities across the country&comma; and in some cases&comma; beyond&period; They serve the important role of coordinating the placement of individual members of a species at zoos and sanctuaries nationwide&period; This means that Twix’s placement at Happy Hollow is a critical move to support the genetic health and long-term viability of the overall red panda population in zoological facilities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Happy Hollow is proud to be a leader in the zoo industry through our accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and participation in its programs&comma; such as Species Survival Plans&period;” Said Amber Rindy&comma; Happy Hollow Zoo Manager&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The Association’s work to conserve red pandas and other endangered species both in accredited facilities and in their natural habitats is a critical aspect of the work of modern zoos&period; Educating about the animals in our care and working to protect their wild counterparts are both critical parts of our mission&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Other than females with cubs&comma; red pandas are solitary by nature&comma; so at this time Twix will be the only resident of Happy Hollow’s red panda habitat&period; The behind-the-scenes night house is designed to be able to accommodate a breeding pair&comma; so a mate is possible in the future&period; Such a recommendation would also come from the Species Survival Plan&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Visitors can stop by the red panda habitat in the Zoo in the Hollow for a chance to see Twix any day that Happy Hollow is open&period; In November&comma; the park and zoo will be open from 10 a&period;m&period; to 4 p&period;m&period; on Saturdays and Sundays only&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;