Visit John Ball Zoo's Red Pandas & More

For more than 125 years, John Ball Zoo has given Grand Rapids locals and visitors of all ages the experience to learn more about animals from around the world. The Zoo is home to over 2,400 animals representing 220+ species. It hosts a variety of unique events and one-of-a-kind visitor opportunities throughout the year, and offers sensory-friendly programs to make sure everyone can enjoy the Zoo experience. 

As an accredited organization with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), John Ball Zoo also participates in a species survival plan and contributes to field conservation efforts, both here at home and across the globe.

Red pandas, also known as lesser pandas, are listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The IUCN estimates that there are fewer than 2,500 adult red pandas in the wild.

John Ball Zoo acquired Wyatt, a male red panda, from the Bronx Zoo in 2017, as part of its effort to help save animal species from extinction. A female named Wasabi joined Wyatt in 2019, and the pair became first-time parents – of triplets! – in 2020. The three girl cubs were eventually relocated to a zoo in Tennessee as part of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan.

In summer 2023, Wyatt and Wasabi gave birth to their second litter of cubs – a male named Dawa (Bhutanese for “moon”) and a female dubbed Nima (“sun”) – who were also later relocated.

International Red Panda Day

International Red Panda Day is observed on the third Saturday of September every year, and it’s a perfect opportunity to stop by the Zoo and say hi to our local panda family. Their habitat is constructed so you can see the animals whether they are inside or outside. Don’t worry if we experience an early fall chill, red pandas are native to the Himalayas and enjoy cold weather.

This day is also an opportune time to reflect on the state of red pandas in the wild. While they are legally protected in their native India, China, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar, human activities and climate change have shrunk their native forest habitats, leading to a global population decline of 50% in the last 20 years.

 In 2024, John Ball Zoo helped establish a collaborative effort to conserve red pandas. The Zoo is a founding member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ SAFE red panda program, which plants thousands of trees benefiting wild habitats and provides fuel-efficient cooking stoves to nearby homes so local residents don’t have to cut trees for firewood.

You can support the Zoo in its efforts with a financial donation. You can even sponsor a red panda through the Zoo’s ADOPT – Animals Depend on People Too! – program. Your support provides essential food and care for our local red pandas and promotes conservation efforts in the Great Lakes region and across the globe.

Get Up Close with Red Pandas

Can’t get enough of these lovable creatures? The Zoo offers Red Panda Encounters on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during its regular season. Participants will help keepers train one of the red pandas while learning about their care and conservation. The non-member cost is $620 for up to two participants, who must be at least eight years old. Visit the Zoo’s Behind the Scenes page for details on this and other animal encounters.

You can also take guided tours of different animal realms when the Zoo is closed for the season (November-March).The Forest Realm tour may include red pandas, Amur tigers and snowy owls, and you’ll be accompanied by a Zoo Educator guide who will escort you and answer your questions. Tours last about 45 minutes and cost $80 per group of up to six people ($60 for Zoo members). Visit the Zoo’s Guided Tours page for more info.

More fun facts about red pandas:

1. Genetically speaking, red pandas are more like the skunks and raccoons we might find in Michigan, than the giant pandas they live within the wild. 
2. Red pandas are usually quiet, but when they do make a noise, it sounds like squeals, twitters, and huff-quacks. 
3. Their mostly white faces have reddish “tear tracks” that extend from their eyes to the corner of their mouths and might help keep the sun out of their eyes. They look like natural sunglasses!
4. Red pandas are excellent climbers and spend most of their lives in trees. They use these to escape predators and to sunbathe in the winter.
5. They have an extended bone that is like a “thumb” to help them grip and strip bamboo stalks. Since bamboo can be up to 95% of their diet, it’s quite helpful. 

Sensory-Friendly Experiences

To help ensure all visitors can enjoy their experience, John Ball Zoo offers a number of Sensory Inclusion Programs. Designated Quiet Areas provide a break from the usual hustle and bustle, and they’re located on the Forest Realm trail (home of the Red Pandas), as well as the Waterfall Trail, chimpanzee viewing tunnel, and between the North American porcupine and Canada lynx habitats.

The Zoo has also marked “Headphone Zones” in the budgie aviary, aquarium, Natural Treasures building, and the chimpanzee indoor viewing area where the crowds and noise could be triggers. Sensory bags, which include noise-canceling headphones, lap pads, fidget toys and a feeling card, are available at the guest services desk near the admission booth. The Zoo staff is sensory inclusive trained to better understand and accommodate guests with sensory needs.

Events and Experiences

The final day of the Zoo’s 2026 season is November 22 – and its late summer and fall schedule is filled with fun:

Locked Zoo: Deserts Decoded (Aug 21) is an after-hours escape game requiring you and your team to unravel nature-related mysteries, solve intricate puzzles and explore hidden corners of the Zoo before the clock runs out. This is an adults-only (18+) adult with food and alcoholic beverages available for purchase throughout the grounds.

Pickle Hippo Party (Sep 3) is an all-day celebration of Hugo the pygmy hippo’s first birthday, complete with pickle-themed decorations, free pickle stickers and pickle-themed decorations. Why pickles? Well, Hugo’s birthday is a pretty big dill, and the Zoo staff is giving him a ginormous toy pickle to play with. (Don’t tell Hugo.)

Wildlife Exploration Day: Monarchs (Sep 12) invites families to meet Mirabelle, Tinker Bell, Cinderella and Rapunzel while learning how to help Monarch butterflies and other winged things flourish, flit and flutter into a brighter future. There will also be live music, aerialists and story time.

STEAM Day (Sep 19) is an epic adventure in science, technology, art and match. Try your hand at robotics, learn how to play an instrument, design your own exhibit, or even become a penguineer as local schools and organizations inspire you with endless possibilities.

Zoo Goes Boo (Oct 16-18, Oct 23-25 & Oct 30-Nov 1) is a beloved annual Zoo tradition featuring twisted treat stations, spooktacular decorations and otherworldly entertainment including magicians, fire dancers, villains and more. Costumes are encouraged and trick-or-treaters should bring a bag for candy. Allergy-friendly treats will be available.

You don’t have to wait for a special event to have a great time at the Zoo, of course. Any day it’s open, you can ride a 600-foot zipline, climb a four-story ropes course and take a virtual-reality visit to the worlds of gorillas, polar bears, dolphins, sharks or dinosaurs. You can also pan for gems, ride a camel, and watch animal feedings and training sessions.

Admission prices are lower in fall (Sept. 8 - Nov. 22), so it’s a great time to visit (and re-visit). While the Zoo is closed to the public for winter, it is planning to offer private guided tours until it reopens again in March 2027. Visit the Zoo’s Animal Experiences page for details.

Zoo staff will spend the winter months planning an exciting 2027 slate – including kid’s summer camps, adult nights, special events and more. We’ll update our Zoo Learning Opportunities page with details as soon as we know them!

John Ball Zoo is also a great space for corporate events and other special occasions including retirements, family reunions, and weddings.

Purchase a Attraction Pass GR for discounts on admission rates to the zoo and other area cultural attractions.