Santa Barbara Zoo officials officially introduced Raj, the red panda, to his new habitat at the zoo.
Zoo officials say the male red panda came to Santa Barbara in April from Trevor Zoo at Millbrook School in New York.
Raj had to live behind the scenes for a few months as his new permanent home was being renovated.
Raj can now be seen by zoo visitors in his new habitat shared with the zoo's Burmese black mountain tortoise, Mathilda. Experts say these tortoises live in similar areas as red pandas do in the wild.
Zoo officials say red pandas are endangered due to habitat loss, with only 10,000 left in the wild. Red pandas are found in various regions of China, Nepal, and northern Burma and are known for their reddish-brown fur, bushy tails, and cute, bear-like faces. Despite their name and appearance, red pandas are not closely related to giant pandas; they are actually more closely related to raccoons.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. for members and 9:30 a.m. for general admission until 5 p.m.; general admission is $25 for adults, $15 for children 2-12, and free for children under 2. Parking is $11.
