SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — Red Pandas are temporarily leaving Utah’s Hogle Zoo as resident Himalayan red panda MowMow sets off for his next adventure.
The Hogle Zoo announced the eight-year-old red panda would be trading Utah for the nation’s capital where he will stay at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. His move is part of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan which works to help grow the red panda population.
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During his time in Utah, MowMow contributed to red panda conservation after he was introduced to the female red panda Priya in 2022. The two gave birth to the adorable Dorji just a year later. Shortly after Dorji’s birth, however, Priya unexpectedly passed away , leaving MowMow to care for their baby cub on his own — a behavior the Utah Hogle Zoo said was uncommon for red panda dads.
“MowMow’s gentle nature shone as he groomed, cuddled, and played for hours with Dorji, teaching him how to ‘panda,’” the Hogle Zoo said in a statement.