There is a new baby animal at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. The zoo announced on social media Wednesday that Mei Mei the red panda gave birth to a male cub in early June. Mei Mei had been paired with another red panda, Suva, last year in the hopes of bringing a baby into the world. “While it remained unclear if she was pregnant, the zoo’s animal care team closely supported her as she seemed to start preparing for motherhood. When she began spending more time in her next box, hopes were high, and on the morning of June 8, we were thrilled to discover that she had welcomed a new cub,” the social media post reads. In her first few months of motherhood, the zoo said Mei Mei has been a caring and protective mother and that dad Suva has been giving the pair plenty of space. The cub is also doing well, with the zoo saying he is becoming chunkier and testing his vocal cords. The baby will be made public later this summer. A name has not been announced yet. Assiniboine Park Zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Saving Animals from Extinction Red Panda program and the Species Survival Plan program. The programs help maintain genetically diverse red pandas in accredited zoos as well as protect the wild red panda population. It is estimated there are around 2,500 red pandas still in the wild.
