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Celebrate Intl. Red Panda Day at John Ball Zoo

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Saturday is International Red Panda Day and the John Ball Zoo is inviting you and your family out to celebrate.

The zoo says International Red Panda Day is all about raising awareness of red pandas and the importance of their conservation.

The zoo is home to two red pandas, Wyatt, who arrived in 2017 and Wasabi who came to Grand Rapids from Nebraska this past spring.

There will be all sorts of red panda-themed activities Saturday including face painting plus, kids can learn what it takes to become a 'Red Panda Ranger.'

"It`s really important because they are an endangered species and they are a unique species, so getting their message out there, their numbers have halved in the last 20 years, so learning more about them and how we can help them is really important," said Nick Milbratz, assistant education program manager, John Ball Zoo.

"This celebration is a fun way to learn more about these animals,"  he said.

The zoo is open Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.