News

The Sequoia Park Zoo is offering up the chance to name its baby red panda in a drawing. At five weeks old, it's about time we start calling her something besides "the baby red panda." The second place winner will get to feed mom and dad red panda, and the third prize will be a birthday party at the zoo.

And before you go getting any ideas, you should know that zoo management has to approve the name you pick.

See full press release below:

How Would You Like to Name the Red Panda Cub?

July 24, 2013, Eureka, CA—The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation is hosting a community-wide Opportunity Drawing for the chance to win one of three Red panda-themed prizes – including the opportunity to name our new female Red panda cub, now five weeks old.

Three winners will be drawn on August 10, 2013 to win one of these great prizes:

· First Prize—Choose the name for our female Red panda cub! Check the naming guidelines below for more information.

· Second Prize—Help a zookeeper feed our adult Red pandas in their habitat. This is an incredible and unique zoo experience. (One person, age 6+; children between the ages of 6-10 must be accompanied by an adult).

· Third Prize—Host your child’s next birthday party at the zoo! Includes games, goody bags, snacks, barnyard chicken feeding, and an original painting by our very own Red pandas as a gift for the birthday child (ages 3+; 15 children max).

The drawing will be held at Zootini, and entrants need not be present to win. Winners will be contacted on August 13th for how to claim their prizes.

The announcement will come just in time for visitors to welcome the baby cub by name, as she is expected to be out exploring the exhibit on her own later in August.

Opportunity Draw tickets can be purchased at the Zoo Ticket Booth and will be on sale through Saturday, August 10th; tickets are $10 each or 6 for $50. Visit the zoo’s website at www.sequoiaparkzoo.net for a list of other ticket sales locations in the community.

Red panda naming guidelines

Zoo-born red pandas are registered by name in an international studbook and are traded among accredited zoos for breeding purposes. Names for each animal reflect upon the zoo and community where the panda was born. Sequoia Park Zoo encourages entrants to consider place or ethnic names from wild panda habitat or a meaningful name associated with our community or culture. Zoo management will approve the final name.

Distribution of drawing proceeds

10% of the proceeds raised by the drawing will be donated to the Red Panda Network, an international organization committed to the conservation of wild Red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities (10% is the maximum contribution allowed by California law governing raffles hosted by non-profit organizations). The remaining proceeds will go to support the new Watershed Heroes project, which will bring River otter, salmon, and Bald eagles to the zoo next year.