Sha-Lei, 18-month-old female red panda, made her journey from Edmonton, AB, Canada to her new home at Dane County Henry Vilas Zoo Wednesday.
Dane County spokesperson Topf Wells said the red panda is an endangered species.
""Vilas Zoo is an accredited zoo participating in different programs designed to help endangered species,"" Wells said.
Chang Tan is the male red panda at the Vilas Zoo. Zoo officials hope to mate the two red pandas and that their offspring will help develop new red panda breeding pairs, according to a statement issued by Dane County.
""You can bring two healthy ones together and I guess hope for the best,"" Wells said.
According to Wells, mating in captive conditions can sometimes prove to be difficult.
""If all goes well, Dane County could one day be the birthplace of rare and adorable cute baby red pandas,"" Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said in a statement.
An anonymous Wisconsin businessman from Vollrath Inc., a Sheboydan cookware manufacturer, donated the use of his private plane for the panda's trip to Dane County.
""He has a wonderful, wonderful conservative record and he has donated the use of his plane, for example, to help out,"" Wells said.
—Maggie DeGroot
