A VALENTINE FOR SUMO THE RED PANDA: THE FURRY COUPLE SPENT THE DAY GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER

EUREKA, CA- The Sequoia Park Zoo was filled with love today, as Sumo the red panda was introduced to his new mate, Stella Luna.
The furry couple spent their valentines day getting to know each other. Amanda Auston, the animal care supervisor said, "it went really well. They were eating together, smelling each other, they touched noses a couple of times. It was really cute."
 
For the first time ever they met this morning and it didn’t take too long for the two lovers to get comfortable. Auston added, "within a couple hours of meeting they actually breed. So we are really excited."
 
Stella Luna is 7 years old and came from a zoo in Boston. She has been here for 30 days but had to be quarantined as a precaution. Auston said, "we just keep them separate from everybody else in case they was something that the vets didn't catch on their way out from a different zoo."
 
But something they couldn’t prevent was 3-year-old Sumo catching the love bug. Auston added, "a couple of times she got on one branch she couldn't get away from him and just sat there like come one let me out of the way… he just followed everything she was doing. He was right behind her the whole time."
 
If all goes well today, zoo officials said baby red pandas could be coming this summer.