Red Pandas

Welcome red panda brothers Cedar and Spruce!
Cedar, Spruce, and their sister Juniper were born at Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska on August 10, 2024. Red panda triplets are extremely rare; the siblings represent 25% of all red pandas born in North American zoos last year. Their experienced mom Tián and the Lincoln Children’s Zoo’s expert staff nurtured the triplets and prepared them for their next big adventures in life. The Minnesota Zoo is honored to be Cedar and Spruce’s new home.

The pairing of Tián and dad Rowan was guided by the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which aims to preserve the greatest genetic diversity of red pandas. That’s critical because red pandas are endangered in the wild and face a very high risk of extinction due to habitat loss and other factors. To help save them, the Minnesota Zoo supports both the SSP and the AZA SAFE Red Panda program, which conducts field research and education campaigns.

In Red Panda Forest, expert tree-climbers Cedar and Spruce will enjoy an expansive, wooded habitat. Stalks of bamboo, a running stream, mist, and mossy boulders echo their native Himalayan forest.

Photo courtesy Lincoln Children’s Zoo

Western Tufted Deer

Meet Douglas! This male Western tufted deer moved here from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Ohio. One feature of this species is sure to make you smile: the males have fang-like canine teeth! This photo is of Douglas as a young fawn; he’s grown since then and at maturity, his adult ‘tusks’ will be 1” long.

Prior to the opening of Red Panda Forest, Douglas is settling in behind the scenes and getting to know his Animal Health care team. He’s made it clear his favorite food is as sweet as he is: sweet potato. When meeting a new person, he expresses his curiosity with a ‘click’ sound. Western tufted deer can also bark, whistle, and whine.

In the wild, Western tufted deer live on densely forested mountainsides, mainly in China. Due to habitat loss and over-hunting, they are classified as near threatened. Their small size and brown coat color help to camouflage them in the forest understory.

Douglas will soon be joined by a companion, a female deer.

Photo courtesy Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Red-crowned Crane

Two red-crowned cranes have arrived from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC and are currently living behind the scenes as we prepare for the opening of Red Panda Forest. The bonded pair of sisters are 8 months old as of April 2025. In this photo, you’ll note their colors are muted. At 2 years old, their distinctive red heads and snowy white feathers will develop. Read about their hatching.

Red-crowned cranes are the second-rarest type of crane in world. They are native to eastern Russia, China, Mongolia, and Japan, and are endangered due to the loss of their wetland habitats to land development. In the wild, they live in family flocks.