Red Panda Cub Is Born in New Zealand

Red pandas are presently listed as a vulnerable species, which is why conservationists worldwide were quite glad to hear that, not very long ago, one such rare cub was born at a zoo in New Zealand.

The cubs' parents, Bo and Sagar, only met last August. Therefore, the birth of this cub suggests that the breeding program now up and running at the Auckland Zoo is nothing if not successful.

“We're absolutely stoked. This birth is a fantastic result, especially as Bo was only introduced to Sagar last August, and given female red pandas come into season just twice a year and a male has only a one to two-day window to mate a female,” zoo employee Bruce Murdock said.

Sources report that, for the time being at least, nobody can say for sure whether this red panda cub is a boy or a girl. This is because its mother is doing a great job of looking after it 24/7, and there is no need for either the zoo's staff, or a veterinarian to intervene.

“Around late February will be a safe time for us to do a full vet check on the cub. We're not absolutely sure, but bets are on that we have a female,” Bruce Murdock went on to add.