NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — The Virginia Zoo welcomed two baby Red Panda cubs!
Two-year-old mom Masu and dad, three-year-old Timur, welcomed to the male cubs in June. The cubs were born off-exhibit at the Zoo’s Animal Wellness Campus.
“We wanted to give Masu the best chance possible to successfully birth and raise healthy cubs,” said Dr. Colleen Clabbers, the Zoo’s Veterinarian. “We decided to move Masu to the Wellness Campus while she was still pregnant to give her the privacy and space she needed with as few disturbances and distractions as possible."
Dr. Clabbers also said that Red Panda experts found that the species has better success with the mothers are able to give birth off-exhibit.
The cubs weighed about 5 ounces at birth, now they weigh just over one pound, according to the zoo. They have not been named, yet. The Virginia Zoo hopes to announce the cubs' names soon.
Right now, the cubs and mother are in a climate-controlled den off view to the public. Once Masu gets more comfortable with the zookeepers around the cubs, and the boys are confident to navigate the trees they will make their way back to the original Red Panda exhibit.
“This is a significant birth for the species as there are less than 10,000 Red pandas left in the wild,” said Greg Bockheim, Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo. “There has been a sharp decline in their population due to a loss of nesting trees and food resources in their native region, they are also hunted for their pelts. We are excited for the terrific care Masu has been providing for her cubs and look forward to having them on exhibit later this year.”
Click here to learn more about the Virginia Zoo.
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