See the fuzzy faces of Zoo Knoxville’s newest red panda cubs
Zoo Knoxville welcomed two red panda cubs, they spent the first three months of their lives tucked in their den with their mom, Sisu.
Knoxville is continuing to live up to its reputation as the red panda capital of the world.
Two male red panda cubs were born at Zoo Knoxville in June to resident red pandas Sisu and Doofah.
“It has been close to five years since the last time red panda cubs were born here, and more than a decade since guests have had the chance to see cubs raised by their mother on exhibit,” said Sarah Glass, Zoo Knoxville’s curator of wild ambassadors, in the release.
In 1977, Zoo Knoxville received its first pair of red pandas, Bernice and Buster. Since 1978, close to 115 cubs have been born at Zoo Knoxville, according to a news release, making the zoo’s red panda breeding program one of the best in the nation.
For around 15 years, Glass has been the species survival plan coordinator for the red panda, meaning she leads the nationwide management of red pandas in captivity.
Since then, Knoxville’s status as a red panda haven has grown beyond the zoo and is now embraced around the city, from Red Panda Grocery in the Old City to One Knox, which used a red panda-themed alternate kit in 2024.
“It’s a Knoxville thing, a uniquely Knoxville thing,” said Wrenne French, One Knox’s director of merchandise.