Taronga Zoo in Syndey Gives Sweet Update on Endangered Red Panda Cub
If you're looking for a cute baby animal video to brighten up your day, look no further! Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia recently welcomed two red panda cubs into their family, and one of them recently got to experience its new environment!
ABC News shared a video clip on Tuesday, March 19th of a Taronga zookeeper taking the cub out into its new enclosure, which appears to be outside. The cub isn't quite red yet but is absolutely adorable! Watch as its eyes take in all the new things to explore!
The zoo has welcomed many new babies recently, including a pygmy hippo as well as a long-nosed fur seal pup. They're all so adorable and I'm jealous of the zookeepers that get to hang out with them all day! ABC News commenters couldn't get enough fo the cuteness. @Shophop spoke for all of us when they swooned, "Oh for Pete’s sake! They could NOT be cuter!!"
Related: Endangered Rare Red Panda Shows Off Her Adorable New Baby
Facts About Baby Red Pandas
Other than the fact that red pandas are absolutely adorable, I realized I didn't know much about them. I did some quick research and found out some fun facts about these cubs...which are in no way related to pandas and are actually part of the bear family.
Red panda babies are called cubs and weigh only about 3.5 ounces at birth. They’re so small that they can easily fit into the palm of your hand! They are born blind and deaf, and their eyes and ears remain closed until they are around 3 weeks of age.
The cubs stay in their birthing den for the first three months of their lives, and nurse until they are somewhere between 14 and 22 weeks of age. They reach maturity around 20 months of age, and adults weigh less than 20 pounds.
A few other fun facts about these guys: red pandas lick themselves clean like cats do, and they also wrap their tails around themselves to keep warm...just like cats do! They love bamboo and it's 98% of their diet; they spend the majority of their time eating a whopping 20, 000 leaves a day.
FactRetriever shared this funny fact, "Red pandas have escaped from zoos in London, Birmingham, Rotterdam, and the Smithsonian Zoo. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums includes in their care package of information: "Beware, red pandas are escape artists."
Sadly, red panda populations have decreased by 40% over the last 50 years. WWF estimates there are fewer than 10,000 red pandas left in the wild of Asia's high forests and they are listed as endangered, with habitat loss the number one issue followed closely by climate change.
I hope Taronga Zoo continues to provide updates on the cute cubs. I could watch them play all day!
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