‘Robust and active’ — Sacramento Zoo shows off pictures of red panda born last month
.jpg "Undated images of a new red panda, born at the Sacramento Zoo on June 24, were released on the zoo’s Facebook on Monday, July 13, 2020. The unnamed female cub is quickly growing alongside mother, Amaya, zoo officials said, who are asking for the public’s help in naming her.")
A red panda born last month at the Sacramento Zoo made her debut to the public Monday via social media.
Her birth added to the pack of five at the Land Park institution, making long-time resident Gizmo a big brother and 4-year-old Amaya a proud mother.
Animal care staff describes the cub as ‘being robust and active – in addition to very cute.’
In showing off the newborn, the Sacramento Zoo announced it is soliciting names for the cub on its Facebook page. Commenters suggested ‘Ziggy,’ ‘Ice Cream’ and Unicorn,’ among others, but the zoo’s calling her ‘Little Munchkin’ until an official name is chosen.
Unfortunately, roughly 50 percent of red panda cubs survive past the one-month mark, according to the zoo. The cub’s sibling was under-developed and died after being assessed by veterinary and animal care teams, officials said.
The cub will be paired with 2-year-old male red panda, David Bowie, per recommendations by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Red Panda Survival Plan. The breeding program is intended to aid with the survival of the species, which is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
In addition to Gizmo, Amaya, David Bowie and the cub, the Sacramento Zoo has another pairs of red panda: Pill and Takeo, who live in an on-exhibit habitat.