In the spirit of friendly competition and wildlife conservation, Zoo Knoxville and the Columbus Zoo put their pride on the line ahead of the highly anticipated Tennessee-Ohio State college football playoff game this past Saturday night. With the Ohio State win, the Columbus Zoo wins, too.
Bill Street, CEO of Zoo Knoxville
Bill Street, Zoo Knoxville president and CEO, issued a friendly wager to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium that if the Buckeyes won, he would wear Ohio State colors and the Zoo would donate to support any animal program of the Columbus Zoo’s choosing. However, if Tennessee was victorious, Street’s counterpoint at the Columbus Zoo, Tom Schmid, would wear Tennessee orange.
To further showcase their Volunteer pride, Zoo Knoxville is temporarily making some changes to The Boyd Family Red Panda Village by renaming the red pandas “orange pandas.” Zoo Knoxville has a long history with red pandas, having cared for them since 1978. As one of the leaders in red panda conservation, the zoo has welcomed over 110 red panda births and has played a key role in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is coordinated by Zoo Knoxville’s own Sarah Glass, curator, Red Pandas/Program Animals/Wild Encounters at Zoo Knoxville.
Additional facts about red (orange and scarlet) pandas include:
- Both Zoo Knoxville and the Columbus Zoo currently house four red pandas.
- Red pandas thrive in Ohio and Tennessee where the climate is similar to their natural habitat in the high mountain regions of the Himalayas and China.
- As arboreal animals, red pandas prefer life high up in the trees and are known for their unique “huffquack” sound, used to intimidate or protect themselves.
The final score of Saturday’s game: Tennessee 17, Ohio State 42, so it looks like Bill Street will will be wearing red and white.
Information and quotes for this story from Zoo Knoxville.
