Zoo celebrates first red panda cub in 25 years; clock globe

The Toronto Zoo, Canada, this Friday (Feb. 22) celebrated the first birth of a red panda in 25 years at the facility. The fouryearold mother, nicknamed “Paprika” by the team, gave birth to a male calf weighing 221 grams.

The red panda has not yet been named and will not be presented to the public until spring (autumn in the northern hemisphere) when the weather becomes milder. Canada as well as the United States, Europe and Asia are facing intense heat waves this summer.

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Paprika arrived at the zoo in November 2021 amid a breeding schedule. Since then she has been considered a potential partner for the red panda Suva. The Red Pandas’ conservation status was upgraded to Vulnerable in 2015 by the International Union for Conservation and Nature.

Watch the video of the mother with her newborn below:

“Pepper was very calm when she was away from him for a moment and took the opportunity to stretch out and get ready before returning to the nest to bathe and tend to her young,” the zoo said.

The celebration of the arrival of the new red panda in Toronto comes as the species is considered difficult to study in the wild as their ability to climb trees and small size make them easy to hide. The population of this animal, originally from Asia, is estimated at 2,500 to 10,000 individuals worldwide, with a possible decline of up to 50% in the last 20 years.

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Despite their association with bears, red pandas are heirs to cats in terms of DNA and have no genetic link to their black​​and whitecoated cousins. Their carnivorous teeth, designed for cutting and tearing, are similar to those of cats, Smithsonian Magazine reveals.

For this reason, the species is considered a carnivore, but it is rare for a red panda to feed on the flesh of another animal, preferring to eat bamboo (the name “panda” probably comes from the Nepalese pronunciation for “bamboo eater” ” nigalya ponya “). They can also eat eggs, fruits and insects.