Maryland Zoo to debut red pandas at Zoomerang Gala next week

Baltimore’s Maryland Zoo is preparing to add a new crowd favorite in Main Valley: red pandas. Families will get a first look at the animals during Zoomerang, the zoo’s June 12 gala in Druid Hill Park, where the evening runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is being framed as a “red tie” celebration for the new habitat.

The debut is part of a larger rebuild effort, not a one-off exhibit. Zoo materials say the red panda habitat is part of a strategic, multi-year master plan and that it is the first new habitat for a new animal species at the institution in more than two decades. Construction on the project broke ground on May 29, 2025, and the habitat is designed for a breeding pair.

The new space sits in Main Valley near the former snowy owl habitat, tying the red panda project to a wider reworking of that part of the zoo. Planned additions in the area include a gibbon habitat and a flyway for the zoo’s eagle and snowy owl. The broader anniversary-era plans also call for a new Harvey M. Meyerhoff Plaza with a cafe, event space and splash pad.

The timing matters for the zoo’s bottom line and visibility as much as for animal lovers. The Maryland Zoo was founded on April 7, 1876, and this year marks its 150th anniversary. By pairing a new species debut with Zoomerang, presented by CareFirst and Brown Advisory, the zoo is using one of its biggest annual events to keep attention on the campus and give Baltimore another reason to come through Druid Hill Park as summer begins.

For the zoo, the red pandas are both a milestone and a message. After more than 20 years without a new species habitat, the institution is signaling that it is still investing in major exhibits, still planning for the long term, and still trying to turn those investments into more visits, stronger memberships and more activity around one of the city’s signature attractions.