Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Red Panda Wild Encounter Info

[Sarus Crane]

Has anyone ever done the Red Panda Wild encounter at the zoo? I was thinking about doing it but at $250 I don't know whether you get your money's worth out of it. It seems like a fun time especially if the panda wants to climb all over you and it'd be like real life Turning Red! Lastly as someone who has very strong cat & medium-ish dog allergies what is the chance that I would be allergic to them?

NEW Wild Encounters | Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

 

[TinoPup]

Has anyone ever done the Red Panda Wild encounter at the zoo? I was thinking about doing it but at $250 I don't know whether you get your money's worth out of it. It seems like a fun time especially if the panda wants to climb all over you and it'd be like real life Turning Red! Lastly as someone who has very strong cat & medium-ish dog allergies what is the chance that I would be allergic to them?

NEW Wild Encounters | Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

I highly doubt you're allowed to touch them or have them on you, PA laws are strict about carnivore interactions, even skunk ambassadors can't be touched. It's a really high price, higher than most zoos, and sells out quickly.

 

[ZooElephantMan]

I used to volunteer at a zoo that did red panda encounters. I don't know how laws differ between the US states, but at my zoo they did not allow the guests to touch the red pandas. They did allow you to feed them though.

The encounters are expensive because they are seen as a way to incentivize people to donate to the zoo. Instead of donating $250 to the zoo and getting nothing out of it, this system lets people donate $250 and then you get to feed a red panda as a reward afterwards! If you decide to pay for an encounter, that is how I would frame the cost-benefit-analysis in your head-- not just "is the experience of feeding a red panda worth all this money?" but also "do I like this zoo enough to want to donate to support their future projects?"

 

[TinoPup]

I used to volunteer at a zoo that did red panda encounters. I don't know how laws differ between the US states, but at my zoo they did not allow the guests to touch the red pandas. They did allow you to feed them though.

The encounters are expensive because they are seen as a way to incentivize people to donate to the zoo. Instead of donating $250 to the zoo and getting nothing out of it, this system lets people donate $250 and then you get to feed a red panda as a reward afterwards! If you decide to pay for an encounter, that is how I would frame the cost-benefit-analysis in your head-- not just "is the experience of feeding a red panda worth all this money?" but also "do I like this zoo enough to want to donate to support their future projects?"

I know. $250 is a high price for even red pandas, though.

 

[Sarus Crane]

I know. $250 is a high price for even red pandas, though.

Exactly! Perhaps for Red Panda keeper for a day experience but not only if you're only going in and feeding it. did you do it? I heard they did it pre-pandemic for like only $60.

I've seen photos of people getting their photo with one of the elephants across social media every now and then. Do they do it only on World Elephant Day? It looks like they open the door of the barn and let the people gather around the elephant and get a photo. Since PPG isn't yet re-accredited by the AZA does this still happen??? Cool opportunity!

 

[Sarus Crane]

I highly doubt you're allowed to touch them or have them on you, PA laws are strict about carnivore interactions, even skunk ambassadors can't be touched. It's a really high price, higher than most zoos, and sells out quickly.

What happened with signing a waiver and a non-suing agreement if something goes wrong? In the end the fault is on the people who CHOOSE to have encounters with potentially dangerous animals. Maybe its the fact that not many people have rabies shots if they get bitten or scratched.

 

[TinoPup]

Exactly! Perhaps for Red Panda keeper for a day experience but not only if you're only going in and feeding it. did you do it? I heard they did it pre-pandemic for like only $60.

I've seen photos of people getting their photo with one of the elephants across social media every now and then. Do they do it only on World Elephant Day? It looks like they open the door of the barn and let the people gather around the elephant and get a photo. Since PPG isn't yet re-accredited by the AZA does this still happen??? Cool opportunity!

No, I'm not paying anywhere near that much for a basic experience like that. Idk about the elephants, but they're trying to get back accreditation, so I imagine they won't be doing things like that.

 

[TinoPup]

What happened with signing a waiver and a non-suing agreement if something goes wrong? In the end the fault is on the people who CHOOSE to have encounters with potentially dangerous animals. Maybe its the fact that not many people have rabies shots if they get bitten or scratched.

You still sign waivers, but waivers can't put aside laws.