A neglected red panda, being taken care of by human handlers at the Sacramento Zoo after being rejected by its mother, has passed away.
The zoo announced the passing of the little cub on Twitter, Tuesday afternoon. The female cub, who was not named, was born in late June to 7-year-old Pili and 9-year-old Takeo at the Sac Zoo. Handlers had to step in to care for the cub after Pili left her unattended.
The cub was under intensive care and had to be treated for hypothermia after zoo workers found she had been abandoned. She was fed every three hours and kept in an incubator in the hopes that she would make a full recovery.
Sadly, the zoo said the 3-week-old girl died from pneumonia on July 16 in her incubator. This is the second red panda cub to die at the Sac Zoo; the last died after only two days.
Red pandas are endangered, and only 50 percent of newborns survive more than a month. Fewer than 10,000 red pandas remain in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
