Operation Conservation

For the many years visitors to the Edmonton Valley Zoo have been getting closer to Red Pandas — some of nature's most endearing animals.

Since their arrival from the Tokuyama Zoo in Japan, our red panda's Koko and Lala have warmed the hearts of zoo guests of all ages and helped us understand more about these special animals. Red Pandas are classified as vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (ICUN) because its population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo Red Pandas are now an important part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP). Being unrelated to other Red Pandas in North America, their genes are the most valuable within the population.