Red panda arrives at Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville

July 31, 2013 (EVANSVILLE, Ind.) -- An 8-year-old red panda is now at its new home in Evansville's zoo, giving it one of the animals for the first time.

The female panda was on display Tuesday at the Mesker Park Zoo, a day after arriving from South Bend's Potawatomi Zoo.

Mesker zoo operations director Erik Beck tells the Evansville Courier & Press that the red panda has her own enclosure with controlled temperatures and staff members who know how to care for her.

Zoo spokeswoman Abigail Adler says the red panda is considered in decline because of loss of its habitat in South China and Mongolia.

Red pandas weigh about 20 pounds with a long, bushy tail. They typically live to be about 15 years old in zoos.

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