Oregon Zoo Reveals Red Panda Cubs Gender

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: August 5, 2020 1:40 pm

The red panda cub at Oregon Zoo during its health check

Photo Credit: Oregon Zoo

A red panda at Oregon Zoo in the USA has undergone its first health check. The 6 week old cub was born on June 18 and has been tucked up in the den with mom, Mei Mei since then with keepers taking a hands-off approach.

With Mei Mei recently starting to leave him alone for short periods of time keepers were able to conduct a check up today.

During the check they confirmed that the cub is a male.

“As her cub grows, Mei Mei has been spending more time outside and away from the den box,” said animal curator Amy Cutting, who oversees the zoo’s red panda area. “Today, we had a chance to go in and do our first veterinary checkup.”

“Mei Mei has been a terrific mom so far, and her boy appears to be in great health. We’ll still be taking a mostly hands-off approach, and let the cub gradually get used to our care staff. It will be another month or so before he ventures out of the den box on his own,” finished Cutting.

A video of the red panda cub at Oregon Zoo

Photo Credit: Oregon Zoo

Mei Mei and her partner Moshu, the cub’s father are experienced parents. They came to Oregon from Nashville Zoo where they produced twins in 2017.

With populations of the red panda declining 50% over the past 20 years each birth is precious. As few as 2,500 red pandas remain in the wild.

“Fifty years ago, red pandas had healthy populations throughout the eastern Himalayas,” Cutting said. “But they’ve been disappearing at alarming rates. Hopefully, we can start a new chapter in the conservation of a species that is sharply declining in the wild.”

Learn more about the red panda – Red Panda Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Oregon Zoo on their website – Oregon Zoo