UTICA, NY – Utica residents lined up Saturday to see the Utica Zoo’s newest inhabitants.
Two red panda babies.
This was the first time the cubs were exposed to the public.
They had been kept in isolation since they were born back on July 6th.
Beth Ricci, the zoo’s animal collections manager, says one of the reasons they decided to introduce them to the public when they did is because it’s the 10th anniversary of International Red Panda Day.
“They are venturing out a little bit more now, so we are able to bring them out for the public to see. They are not quite to the point of going out on exhibit just yet. They have received their first two sets of vaccinations so we felt comfortable bringing them out for visitors to see.”
The zoo plans on having a naming contest for the cubs in the near future and says they’ll be able to go out on exhibit later this year.
