A red panda, an endangered species, has been born at Hertfordshire Zoo in the UK. Nicknamed Little Red (vermelhinho, translated into Portuguese), the little one was born in July 2022 and the news was announced last week with a touch of ‘miracle’.
The baby was born to Tilly the bear and Nam Pang the bear, but with a sad note: the father died a month before the boy was born.
Before the pregnancy, the couple was accompanied by an international breeding program. However, no puppies have been sired in the past four years.
Two weeks after the death of her partner, Tilly began retiring to the shelter and then the puppy was born at 14 days.
According to the zoo, the birth of the red panda bear is considered a beacon of hope for the species.
Red pandas are classified as vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss.
They are typically found in montane forests in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Fewer than 2,500 specimens of the species live in the world, the company said.
“In his memory and legacy, this birth is more than we ever anticipated. The arrival of Little Red is a beautiful ending to a tragic and moving story that shocked the community in June,” said Aaron Whitnall, Zoo Operations Coordinator.
Zookeepers have not yet been able to determine Little Red’s sex, but it is predicted they will be able to do so when the bear is six months old.