By Stephanie Jorritsma
I have fallen in love with red pandas. I adore their cuddly looks and their playful personalities, and I relate to their desires to eat, nap, and climb trees. At the same time, I have also been expanding my love for travel, and I am always on the lookout for new roadtrips near my home in Bismarck, North Dakota. So when my family gifted me two tickets to the Red Panda Encounter at Fargo’s Red River Zoo, I was beyond excited. A friend and I began planning the trip as we eagerly awaited meeting one of the cutest animals in the zoo, face-to-face.
Despite all of our planning, however, the trip did not get off to a promising start. I woke up that morning to an unexpected snowfall, and I began to consider that planning a road trip in early March probably wasn’t my best idea. As we carefully got on the road, we watched the snowy interstate and hoped there was better weather ahead.
The snow gradually cleared as we drove, and we arrived at the Red River Zoo around lunchtime on a cool, gray Saturday. We were greeted by a quiet zoo with only a few visitors, and we quickly set out, maps in hand and ready to explore.
As we walked, we began to realize that the weather had some unexpected benefits. The cold made the animals more active than usual, so we wandered through the exhibits watching prairie dogs squabble and lynxes patrol their enclosure.
In contrast to the wintry weather, we also noticed a warmth from the keepers and few visitors roaming the park. One keeper mentioned that she had just fed a sea otter, and we walked over in time to watch it munch on carrot pieces and nutritional pellets. Another keeper unlocked a viewing area for us and stayed to chat for a few minutes before resuming her work. We visitors did our part as well, helping each other find animals that were hard to spot in their enclosures. In the still afternoon, the delighted shrieks from little kids were a welcome interruption.
Despite our luck with most of the animals, when we first passed the red panda enclosure, the space seemed empty, and I was a little disappointed. It was only later when we returned for the Red Panda Encounter that I saw them—two little balls of reddish-brown fur, nestled high up in the trees. Their long brown and orange-striped tails were covering their faces, keeping them plenty warm for an afternoon nap.
As one of the keepers called out to the pandas, one of the balls of red fur began to move. A very sleepy red panda looked down at us, trying to decide whether abandoning her nap was worth the possibility of snacks. It took a lot of coaxing from multiple keepers to convince her to leave the tree and come into the indoor enclosure. However, as the keepers gave us final instructions, we saw a little fuzzy face curiously peeking at us through the windows of the next room.
Once the red panda entered and hopped up on the table, we began to approach her under the keepers’ watchful eyes. We were instructed not to pet her, but we each took turns watching with rapt attention as the red panda gently nuzzled into our hands and munched on grapes mere inches away from us.
While waiting to feed her, we asked the keepers all kinds of questions about their work with the red pandas. We learned that Marcy, a kind woman with bright eyes, was the most senior keeper and had been working with red pandas at the zoo for over 20 years. She told us all about the red pandas’ habits and care, along with several stories that made us laugh and admire these stubborn, adorable animals. As she gave us a small glimpse into her world, I found myself wondering how many unassuming, gray days like this one she had devoted to caring for these creatures.
On the whole, we spent almost 45 minutes interacting with the red panda, feeding it grapes, taking photos, remarking at her cuteness, and learning about her species. In a final, picture-perfect moment, I fed my last handful of grapes to the red panda as she stood on a platform above me, and I watched as she ate face-to-face with me, happy and wholly unafraid.
In the days that followed the encounter, I found myself thinking about the amazing experience, but also considering what could have happened if we had waited for warmer weather, if the red panda hadn’t left the tree, or if Marcy hadn’t committed to caring for the red pandas for all those years. It reminded me that connections, both human and animal, often happen in unassuming, unromantic moments, when we choose to take a risk outside our comfort zones. But if we reach out, even on a cold, gray, wintry day—who knows what might happen?
Photos by Stephanie Jorritsma & Rebekah Jorritsma
About the Author
Stephanie Jorritsma is a writer, performer, and artist currently living in Bismarck, North Dakota; she serves as the Member Services and Communications Director for the North Dakota Association of Realtors. Stephanie has a B.A. in English/Writing and Theatre and has been writing for local publications for the past six years. She also enjoys traveling, playing music, and spending time with family and friends.
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