Red Panda Palooza!

September has been the Month of the Red Panda for three zoos who recently announced the birth of a combined FOUR red pandas, including a pair of twins!  Though the red pandas were born earlier in the summer, they only recently have emerged from their nests.  The first red panda cub to premier lives at the Nashville Zoo.  Yet to be named, the young female has been scrupulously cared for by mom.  This was very encouraging for zoo keeper as red panda mothers are prone “agitation” after a cubs birth which may cause the mother to neglect the cub.

(Image Credit: Aimee Stubbs)

The second red panda cub debuted at The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.  The cub is a rambunctious female named Maliha.  She is the first cub born to mother Xiao who has survived passed the most dangerous first thirty days after birth during which 50% of red panda cubs perish both in the wild and in zoos.

(Image Credit: Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo)

Finally, Lincoln Children’s Zoo announced the birth of TWIN red panda cubs to mother Sophia.  The twins are being hand by raised by zookeepers due to a difficult birth.

(Image Credit: Lincoln Children’s Zoo)

Red Pandas are considered a vulnerable species due to loss of their native habitat int he Himalayas and low reproduction rates due the previously mention infant mortality rate.  Sharing strong similarities with both bears and raccoons, the red panda has confounded biological classification.  Like the Giant Panda, the Red Panda eats mostly bamboo but supplements its diet with insects, roots, eggs, and fruit.

Read more about the red panda births at ZooBorns.

Also, read more Good News by following us on Twitter at @tgnreview