Three Red Panda Cubs Born At The Virginia Zoo

Norfolk, Virginia - The Virginia Zoo welcomed three adorable red panda cubs.

Mom, three-year-old Masu, and dad, four-year-old Timur, welcomed three red panda cubs on June 18.

The two male and one female cubs weighed about five ounces at birth, but now they're just over a pound.

“Having red panda triplets is a unique situation,” said Dr. Colleen Clabbers, the Zoo’s Veterinarian. “It’s a lot of work for mom to care for three newborns, but Masu is doing a great job caring for the triplets, and all three have been thriving.”

Red pandas are tree-dwelling animals that are native to the eastern Himalayan. In the wild, they are usually found in habitats in Myanmar, Nepal, India, Bhutan, Tibet, and China.

At the Virginia Zoo, Momma Masu gave birth in an indoor, climate-controlled den where she has been nursing and bonding with her cubs.

The den is out of view to the public, but it is monitored by by Zoo Keepers and Animal Care Staff. Masu and the cubs will make their way to the original Red panda exhibit off the main pathway later this fall when Keepers feel they can confidently navigate the trees and other exhibit features.

“Our Animal Care team had a great strategy last year in moving Masu to the Animal Wellness Campus while she was still pregnant, providing privacy for her first birth experience. She took great care of her cubs last year, which is why we opted to do the same thing again this time around,” said Greg Bockheim, Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo. “We’re excited to introduce Masu and the triplets to the public this fall!”

What will the cubs be named? The Virginia Zoo is auctioning naming rights of the cubs in support of red panda conservation.

The public can place bids on each of the cubs’ names through August 30.

Click here to place a bid on the cub's name, or to learn more.





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Washington, DC - Smithsonian National Zoo Has Announced That the Red Pandas Are Back on Exhibit in the Nation’s Capital

Smithsonian National Zoo has announced that red pandas are once again on exhibit in the nation’s capital, after a two-year absence.

For now, male Tusa and female Asa, both 1 year old, will be on display at the zoo’s small mammal house. The ginger cuties will move at a later date into swanky new digs -- boasting indoor heat, air conditioning, new perches, and plenty of quiet -- now under construction for them on the larger "Asia Trail" red panda exhibit.

The zoo’s previous pair of red pandas, Shama and Rusty, were transferred to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) two years ago this month, so they could breed. The couple did produce three cubs in June 2014, but, sadly, Shama died soon after they were born.

Rusty, however, is “thriving” at the SCBI, according to zoo staff. The clever male made a name for himself in June 2013 when he staged a very public, and Internet-viral, escape to the streets of D.C.

While Tusa and Asa will call D.C. home, their species — listed as endangered on the IUCN’s “red list” of threatened species, with fewer than 10,000 thought to remain in the wild — is native to Nepal, China, Bhutan and India. SCBI has long studied the adorable animals.

“We’ve made a commitment to study red pandas,” said curator Steve Sarro in a release, “and we hope that they inspire the public to help us conserve this endangered species and their habitat for many generations to come.”

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