At Assiniboine Park Zoo in Manitoba a little red panda cub was born on June 28, 2014 who grew to be known as Arun. Once he was ready to leave his mom and contribute to the SSP (Species Survival Plan) he was matched with GVZoo; we built a beautiful, brand-new enclosure for his arrival. On May 28, 2015 he arrived to the warmest welcomes, and immediate love and dedication from our staff. He is very laid back and doesn't get worked up about anything, though he is quite picky when it comes to food; he will only eat one specific brand of date! He is often motivated by bamboo, specifically bamboo shoots. He’s also very energetic and has been seen bounding around the enclosure in playful ways.
On July 1, 2013, at Granby Zoo in Quebec, Sakura was born. She was introduced to Arun on March 4th, 2021 on a breeding recommendation through the SSP. Sakura and Arun got along really well right away. She is extremely food motivated and loves sweet foods, most notably dates and pears. She often steals Arun’s sweet food because she just loves sweets so much and he lets her because he’s not as big of a fan. She is stockier than him, her face is bigger and rounder than his and also lighter in color. Sakura is very dominant over Arun but he really doesn't mind at all.
Red pandas are an important species because they help keep balance in their ecosystem. Their native range is in Northern Myanmar, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and into the West Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces of China. Red Pandas are also the last surviving species in their taxonomic family, saving them preserves a piece of our world’s national heritage. The red panda has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle, and a ringed tail. They have curved, retractable claws and a thumb-like bone that helps them grip leaves, fruit, and narrow tree branches. A red panda’s diet is 90% bamboo, however they digest it quite poorly so they have to eat a lot of it. Their thick fur provides insulation from the cold. Red Pandas typically live solitary lives. While usually fairly quiet, they do make a lot of interesting sounds. Most notably something called a “huff-quack”, this sounds like a pig snort and a duck quack; they also make little squeals and twitters. Red pandas are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. On average, they spend about 45 percent of the day awake.
Red pandas breed from January through March, with babies being born in the late spring. During this time bamboo shoots and leaves are the most tender and digestible and this helps the mother get adequate nutrition while raising her babies. Females create nests in hollow trees, tree roots, and small enclaves, and pull leaves and other soft substrate into the nest.
We preemptively built three nest boxes for Sakura and placed them in different areas of the enclosure. In January we started to see her pulling material into these boxes, followed by mating behaviors. In April she started to protect the nest boxes, and in mid-May she began to actively nest in one box in particular. On the day we had planned to do an ultrasound was the day we discovered the babies! The babies (cubs) were born on June 14, 2022. We kept keeper interaction to a minimum to allow her to raise her cubs as naturally as possible. Sakura is an excellent mother, very protective of her cubs. We did and continue to do a visual health check daily and regular weigh-ins. Soon they will be out and about in their enclosure, and will start getting really active when they start to eat solid food at 3 months old. The cubs will be at our zoo for at least 1 year, which is the amount time they stay with mom in the wild. After this time the Species Survival Plan may pair them up with potential mates at other facilities. This is a huge success for the SSP and the on-going conservation efforts of this endangered species.
“SSP Programs are led by expert advisors who cooperatively work together to maximize genetic diversity, appropriately manage the demographic distribution and long-term sustainability of TAG recommended Animal Programs within AZA member institutions. Each SSP Program manages the breeding of a select species or sub-species by collaborating with the AZA Population Management Center (PMC), Reproductive Management Center (RMC), Program Leaders, and Institutional Representatives (IRs) from each participating institution to develop an SSP Breeding and Transfer Plan. Breeding and Transfer Plans summarize the current demographic and genetic status of the population, describe the Animal Program’s management designation, and recommend breeding pairs and transfers. These Plans are designed to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically stable population for the long-term future.” – AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums).
Conservation efforts here at the Greater Vancouver Zoo continue to yield exciting results. Conservation, education, and dedication to our animals is of utmost importance to us here, and we are so happy to share these new cubs with our devoted community. If you stop by to see them please be mindful and respectful, and enjoy the experience!
