SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Zoo is welcoming the birth of another endangered Red Panda!
Zoo officials announced the birth 19 days after 4-year-old “Amaya” delivered two small cubs. Sadly, one of the cubs was under-developed and passed away not long after being born.
Amaya is taking care of the remaining cub, which has not yet been named nor has its gender been revealed. Zoo officials say the cub appears healthy and both it and Amaya are being closely monitored by veterinary staff.
According to the zoo, newborn Red Panda cubs have a high mortality rate, with nearly half passing away before they’re even a month old. The new cub, however, appears to be thriving. Zoo staff recorded its weight at birth at 90 grams. At its last weighing, it tipped the scales at more than 200 grams, the zoo said.
Amaya and the new cub are being kept in a “behind-the-scenes” habitat at the zoo and there is no estimated time for when they’ll rejoin the other Red Pandas. Some highly-sensitive cubs remain in the nest with their mothers for at least 90 days, zoo officials said.
The father of the cub is a 2-year-old Red Panda named “David Bowie.” Amaya is also the mother to “Gizmo”, the Red Panda cub born in June 2019.
The Sacramento Zoo houses two pairs of Red Pandas. Pili and Takeo live in an on-exhibit habitat and are visible to zoo visitors. Amaya and David Bowie are both being housed in the off-exhibit.
Read more from ABC10
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