NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville Zoo is welcoming one of their their newest and cutest additions.
"There's nobody else that's really quite that shade of red with cute little striped tail," said zookeeper Sloane Campbell.
This red panda is known as Dr. Lily and up until recently, she's been a single female. Now, she's got company. A two-year-old male named Rowan was sent to the Nashville Zoo from the Binghamton Zoo in New York.
"They're getting used to each other. They're getting to know each other," she said, "It's fun to get to see them start to interact and become friendly."
Campbell says pandas like Dr. Lily and Rowan come from China and Nepal. They enjoy higher elevations and cooler temperatures, most comfortable at about 4,000 feet.
According to Campbell, a red panda can eat about 20,000 leaves a day but also enjoy snacks.
"Apples and grapes are their favorites," she said.
Usually solitary animals, the keepers are helping the pair get used to their new life together and hope one day they'll be more than friends.
So we're hoping that next season we will have some cubs, fingers crossed.
