SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 19, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — Dating “setups” are always so awkward, especially when they’re made by zoological breeding programs that don’t even know you that well.
But 7-year-old Chinese red panda Kiaria has arrived at Hogle Zoo for just that purpose, as a possible mate for William, a Chinese red panda who is only a year old.
Kiaria hails from the Toledo Zoo and is described as “curious, relaxed, and go-with-the-flow. As a known biscuit burglar, she enjoys snacking on fruit, bamboo, and biscuits when she’s not exploring her new habitat or curled up for a nap.”
She will soon share habitat space with William, who came to Hogle Zoo in fall of 2024, a zoo news release says.
“The two have already participated in ‘howdy’ introductions — meeting through mesh barriers — and have swapped habitats behind the scenes to get familiar with each other’s scent.”
When William arrived, he was described as “a cautiously curious Chinese red panda, eager to explore new surroundings and enrichment opportunities. William’s care team describes him as a smart panda who enjoys training and learning new behaviors and especially loves snack time with fruit or bamboo.”
So the two at least share curiosity and the love of fruit and bamboo.
But don’t rush poor William. According to information from the Toronto Zoo, “Red pandas reach sexual maturity at 18 months.”
Hogle Zoo has touched lightly on the delicate issue.
“As the younger of the two, William is cautiously curious about his new companion, while Kiaria, having lived alongside other red pandas before, has embraced the introductions with her usual go-with-the-flow attitude,” the zoo website says.
Awkward.
The setup was arranged by The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, which made the breeding recommendation.
Found across mountainous forests of the Eastern Himalayas, red pandas belong to their own family, Ailuridae. Threatened by habitat loss and degradation, red pandas are an endangered species. Poachers also target red pandas for their fur and the pet trade, the zoo news release says.
