![]() Frédéric Cuvier, who published the first Western scientific description of the animal in 1825, deemed it “quite the most handsome mammal in existence.” One of the foremost modern authorities, Angela Glatston, in a book she edited about red panda biology, described the animal as “flamboyantly clad in chestnut, chocolate and cream,” and called it “a creature of great beauty and charm.”Īlthough it is hard to capture in words exactly what red pandas are like, Anna Kendrick, the actress who starred in both “Pitch Perfect” movies, among others, came as close as anyone after she had been panda-struck at Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn.Īnd yet, even though they inspire delight, and have a presence in movies (the master in “Kung Fu Panda”), and on the Internet (in lots of videos and as the avatar of a popular Twitter persona), they are far less well known and understood than that other panda, the giant black and white one.Īnd they are in trouble. The scientific literature reflects the red panda’s appeal. No one - scientist, reporter or photographer - is immune to the baby panda smile reflex. They are surrounded by silly grins as they are lifted out and fed - wide, involuntary and irrepressible face-splitting smiles. They have bandit masks and thick, rich fur, and they make soft squealing noises and something called a huff-quack, which sounds like … a huff-quack. The five red panda cubs in large boxlike cribs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute here are bottle-fed, sleepy and wobbly on their legs. The link to vote and further updates on the cub will be announced on the Rosamond Gifford Zoo website and social media.FRONT ROYAL, Va. The zoo invites the community to help name the red panda baby through an online voting process. The mother-cub duo will stay off exhibit until Simone and her cub is more comfortable and the baby becomes more mobile. Simone and Ketu will remain at the zoo, and their breeding recommendation will continue. The new cub will remain at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo for at least a year as she matures but will eventually move to another zoo to participate in the SSP. Their current estimated population in the wild is less than 5,000 individuals. Red panda populations are declining due to the deforestation of their nesting tree habitats, bamboo food sources, and poaching for their red coats. ![]() They do, however, share similar bamboo diets. Despite their name, red pandas are not related to giant pandas. They are slightly larger than a domestic cat and resemble raccoons with their bushy tails and face markings. Red pandas are native to the Eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. During the health check, the animal care team confirmed the cub was an extremely healthy female weighing 551 grams (about 19 ounces). Simone is a caring mother and did not leave the panda building for two months as she carefully attended to her baby.Īfter months of careful monitoring and anticipation, the red panda cub had its first health check in September. “However, the team closely monitored the cub and her development through cameras installed in the nest box.” “Red panda cubs are highly vulnerable, and the animal care staff followed a strict hands-off policy while Simone cared for and bonded with her baby,” said Zoo Director Ted Fox. The birth comes after a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, a highly strategic population management and conservation program designed to manage critically endangered animals. The birth of a new red panda is crucial for their endangered population. “We are very excited about the birth of this very special red panda cub and proud of the animal care team’s dedication and commitment to the protection of endangered species,” said County Executive Ryan McMahon. The cub is also very important to the Species Survival Plan (SSP) as its unique bloodline provides genetic diversity for the species in managed populations. Ketu has fathered several red panda cubs previously. This cub is a huge success to both the zoo and Simone, as it is her first successful birth since she joined Ketu at the zoo in 2018. SYRACUSE, NY, Novem– The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is excited to announce a red panda cub has been born at the zoo as part of a program to save the endangered species.Īn adorable female cub was born to seven-year-old red panda mother Simone and ten-year-old father Ketu on July 31, 2022.
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