FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                 November 6, 2009

CONTACTS:

Tara Henson          (405) 425-0219, (405) 919-9038, cell or thenson@okczoo.com

Candice Rennels    (405) 425-0298, (405) 412-6172, cell or crennels@okczoo.com

“PANDA”-MONIUM AS OKC ZOO CELEBRATES RED PANDA BIRTHS

                Visitors to the Oklahoma City Zoo are invited to see two red panda cubs making their official public debut! Born on June 18 to mom “Celeste” and dad “Yoda,” the cubs, one male and one female, are now discovering their outdoor habitat by Zoo Lake. This was the first offspring for both parents. The cubs mark the fourth and fifth red panda births to occur at the Zoo, with the most recent cub born in 1997.  

The birth of the two cubs is a great success for the red panda Species Survival Plan, or SSP, which helps manage captive populations in North America. The SSP makes breeding recommendations and develops long-term research and management strategies for the species.

“We are very excited to have two new red panda cubs since they are an endangered species and this is the first litter born at the Zoo in 12 years,” said Mammal Curator Laura Bottaro. “These cubs represent our continued efforts to successfully breed this beautiful species.”

“Panda” is the Nepalese word for “small, cat-like animal.” The red panda is named for the blazing red color of its coat, which along with the white and black markings on its face helps the animal to blend in with the reddish-brown moss and white lichens that decorate the fir trees of its habitat. Adult red pandas weigh between 12 and 20 pounds and have a long, bushy tail that accounts for two-thirds of their body length. They have thick fur padding on their feet which is ideal for walking on snow and ice, and semi-retractable claws help these excellent climbers to keep their grip in the trees. Red pandas also have an extra thumb-like appendage, called a “pseudothumb,” on their forefoot, which helps them to grip thin branches and leaves. They are primarily nocturnal and spend much of the daylight hours curled up in trees.

The cubs weighed about 100 grams at birth, entering the world fully-furred and a grayish color, blind and totally dependant on their mother. They attained their famous fiery coat at about 90 days, will wean from their mother at about five months and will stay with their mother until they are around a year old.

The first known reference to a red panda was discovered in a 13th-century Chou dynasty manuscript. Six centuries later, red pandas were seen by Europeans in their habitats in southern Tibet and southwestern China – remote areas of the Himalayan Mountains. Now, the species is listed as endangered as their habitats shrink from deforestation. The red panda’s home range is being threatened by agriculture and cattle grazing, and competition from local livestock for resources. 

Although the word “panda” brings to mind the much-loved black and white versions of the species, the Giant Panda, red pandas are in a family all their own. While giant pandas are in the bear family, red pandas have not yet been formally classified into a mammal group, although theories suggest such relatives as raccoons or skunks.

Come see the new arrivals at the Zoo: the red panda cubs and their fellow newborns: a baby chimpanzee now on exhibit in Great EscApe, an okapi calf born August 15 and a Grevy’s zebra foal born July 13. The wild is calling you to the Oklahoma City Zoo! Located in Oklahoma City’s Adventure District at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with exhibit buildings closing at 4:45 p.m.   Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for children three to 11 and seniors 65 and older. Children two and under are free. For more information, please call (405) 424-3344 or visit www.okczoo.com.

-okczoo-