Erie Zoo Welcomes New Animals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2022
Erie Zoo Welcomes New Animals
[ERIE, Pennsylvania] – This fall the Erie Zoo welcomes new animals to their collection.
A new Père David’s deer by the name of Lisa was brought in as a companion on recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for the Erie Zoo’s current resident Père David’s deer, Tai Yang. The two deer are housed with a herd of mouflon sheep and can be viewed with a ride on Safariland Express Train. During November, the Safariland Express Train is closed, but visitors will be able to see the new deer when the train opens back up for the season in May 2023.
In the 1900s Père David’s deer were discovered to be extinct from their natural environment along China’s Yangtze River basin and still are today. Zoos have been the leading factor aiding in keeping this species from facing complete extinction. The Erie Zoo is thrilled to be a part of this species conservation with the addition of the new Père David’s deer.
Two red pandas have also joined the Erie Zoo family. The red pandas are one year-old brothers named Lukas and Micah. The brothers arrived mid-October from Seneca Park Zoo and currently can be visited in the red panda exhibit inside the Asia Tower. Their predecessors Neo, Joe, and Pumori were moved out of the zoo earlier this fall on breeding recommendations from the AZA’s Red Panda Species Survival Plan in efforts to increase the populations of red pandas, which are considered to be an endangered species.
There are some new babies at the zoo as well. The naked mole rat colony grew by two litters of pups this past month. The naked mole rats can be visited in the Main Building.
The Erie Zoo remains open daily from 10am-5pm with last admission at 4:15pm through November 30th. The zoo will be closed Thanksgiving Day and close for the season beginning December 1st. The grounds will reopen for the 2023 season on March 1st, 2023 and host the Grand ReOpening Celebration on March 4th from 10am-2pm.
The Erie Zoo is dedicated to nurturing an appreciation of the world and providing the Erie community with meaningful educational and recreational experiences that foster a greater sense of awareness, stewardship and conservation of animals and plants. The Erie Zoo is open daily from 10am-5pm and more information can be found at www.eriezoo.org .
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