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

Upcoming special events at the Zoo include Safety Day (Sept. 7), featuring local first responders and Marvel characters; Monarch Day (Sept. 13), a celebration of the beautiful butterfly with appearances by Disney characters; STEAM Day (Sep. 20), offering fun, educational experiences to get guests of all ages excited about science, technology, engineering, art and math; and Zoo Goes Boo! (Oct. 10-12, 17-19 & 24-26), the Zoo’s annual Halloween bash, complete with trick-or-treat stations, amazing animals, twisted decorations, magicians, jugglers and more.

Locked Zoo: Fab Forest (Sept. 5 & 26) are after-hours events that transform the Zoo into a thrilling escape room for adults (18+) only. 

Now through Nov. 23, everyone can visit The Power of Pollinators exhibit, which brings you face-to-face with 20+ larger-than-life animatronic butterflies, bees, beetles and more.

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 the funicular up to the Tree Top Play Zone, hit the zipline on your way to the Sky Trail Ropes Course and take a virtual-reality visit to the mists of Rwanda via the Gorilla Trek VR theater. You can also Pan for gems, ride a camel, feed birds from your hand in the Budgie aviary, explore a universally designed playground and/or enjoy a picnic in the park just outside the Zoo.

Just make sure you visit by November 23, because that’s when John Ball Zoo closes for the 2024 season. Admission prices are lower in fall (Sept. 2 - Nov. 23) and you can purchase Attraction Pass GR to save 50% and more on admission to the Zoo and other area attractions.

Zoo staff will spend the winter months planning an exciting 2026 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.