It’s National Zoo Lovers Day, and now there’s one more reason to love Madison’s Henry Vilas Zoo. It’s now home to Betty, a red panda.
Betty was introduced to Bandit, the zoo’s other red panda, last week after being in quarantine since March for routine health checks. The two are now available for public viewing.
Betty is a Midwesterner — she comes to Madison by way of Nebraska’s Lincoln Children’s Zoo. She also has ties to the 608: her great grandmother was Tarrei, a red panda at the Henry Vilas Zoo who died in 2021 at the age of 19.
An endangered species, there are believed to be fewer than 2,500 red panda adults left in the wild. Madison’s zoo is a part of the Red Panda Network, which is committed to their conservation. You can help.
