The Utica Zoo will be hosting International Red Panda Day on Saturday, September 18.

The Zoo will help visitors learn about Red Pandas through a host of activities, including a scavenger hunt, animal walkabouts, special education booths and more.

“Red pandas are unique, important, and endangered,” states Utca Zoo Marketing and Visitor Experience Manager Kari Procopio. “They’re the only species remaining in their taxonomic family. Saving them is important to the preservation of the world’s natural heritage and  biodiversity.”

The Zoo is also asking for donations to help assist in building a brand new, enhanced exhibit for its resident Red Pandas.

The Red Panda exhibit is one of the most popular at the Zoo.  The Zoo offers encounters with the animals, which are sold out for 2021.

The Red Panda celebration continues the Utica Zoo’s tradition of assisting the Red Panda Network, a leader in conservation activities throughout Nepal and China to save the endangered animals from extinction.

The Zoo will also be drawing the winner of the Wildlife Fest Wish List raffle, which awards an annual family membership.

It will kick off the Utica Zoo Rainforest Raffle for a grand prize of $10,000!

Tickets are $25 each or $100 for five.

Additional prizes will be drawn throughout the campaign and the grand prize will be drawn at the conclusion of the Utica Zoos Bright Nights event series on December 23.

International Red Panda Day is included with Zoo admission.

The Utica Zoo is opening daily 10:00AM to 4:30PM, 363 days a year.

Beak & Skiff Named County’s #1 Apple Orchard

The Best Ice Cream In The Utica Area

10 Places in Central New York You Need to Visit at Least Once

Looking for some of the best sights in Central New York? Here's just ten that you need to visit at least one in your life.

More From 96.1 The Eagle