Encouraging natural behaviors<\/p>\n
Much of the zoo\u2019s daily enrichment program is designed to mimic behaviors red pandas would naturally perform in the wild.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor enrichment, we focus on trying to bring out natural behaviors in them,\u201d King said. \u201cSince they\u2019re arboreal, important ones are climb, and since they forage a lot, it would be explore, climb and forage. Those are the behaviors we try to do the most with enrichment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The approach encourages the animals to stay active while reinforcing behaviors essential to their survival in the wild.<\/p>\n
According to zoo staff, about 95% of a red panda\u2019s diet consists of bamboo. Much of the bamboo fed to Cape May\u2019s red pandas is grown on zoo grounds.<\/p>\n
King said red pandas typically live eight to 10 years in the wild, though those in human care can live significantly longer. The zoo\u2019s former red panda, Luna, lived more than 22 years.<\/p>\n
Conservation beyond the zoo<\/p>\n
The Cape May County Zoo\u2019s conservation efforts extend beyond caring for animals on site.<\/p>\n
Verity said the zoo supports the Red Panda Network, which works to protect red panda habitat in Nepal, educate local communities and reduce threats to the species.<\/p>\n
Last year, the zoo raised more than $6,000 for the organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times making a connection with an animal, even if it is just because it is so cute, might inspire people to learn more about them, learn more about their habitat and then hopefully want to help,\u201d Verity said.<\/p>\n
The zoo also participates in conservation initiatives supporting other species, including bison and snow leopards.<\/p>\n
Cape May County Administrator Kevin Lare said the zoo is funded through a combination of county tax revenue and private donations. The county receives an average of about $1.5 million in donations each year to support the facility. In 2026, salary, wage and operating expenses totaled $3.1 million. Admission has always been free, and the county says they intend to keep it that way.<\/p>\n
For now, visitors may simply see Wally exploring a new habitat, climbing through trees and getting comfortable in his new surroundings.<\/p>\n
Zoo staff see something more.<\/p>\n
His arrival is another step in a long-term effort to protect a species whose future depends on preserving its habitat and its genetic diversity for generations to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have to think bigger than our neighborhood,\u201d Verity said. \u201cThis is an animal that we do not want to go extinct.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cape May County Zoo, which was recently named one of the nation\u2019s best free attractions by USA Today, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The zoo welcomes about 750,000 visitors a year.<\/p>\n
WHYY News is partnering with independent journalists across New Jersey to spotlight the people, communities, cultures and distinctive places that shape the Garden State. This work is made possible with support from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Encouraging natural behaviors Much of the zoo\u2019s daily enrichment program is designed to mimic behaviors red pandas would…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":866348,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[23],"tags":[353035,746,63915,159,67,132,68,18855],"class_list":["post-866347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-cape-may-county","tag-environment","tag-new-jersey-diaries-from-shore-towns-to-small-towns","tag-science","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us","tag-zoo"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116747572822722529","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/866348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}