3 minute read
Red panda cub – newest, cutest
by ANNETTE JOYCE
When the staff came to work at the Greensboro Science Center (GSC) on the morning of Monday, June 20, there was a surprise waiting for them. Usha, the center’s red panda, had given birth overnight. Weighing in at a mere .2 pounds, Ravi was a tiny bundle of fur.
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Ravi is not the first baby red panda to be born at the GSC.
“Two years ago, Usha had two cubs, but she killed them,” said Amanda Bissert, terrestrial curator and safety coordinator. “This can be a pretty common occurrence, especially with red pandas.”
To prevent this from happening again, the decision was made, in conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) coordinators, to take the cub from his mother and hand-rear him by a designated care team.
Kelly Rauch, GSC Red Panda String Lead, works with four others, including Bissert, to make sure the cub thrives. This is no small task, especially during the cub’s infancy.
Photo courtesy of Greensboro Science Center This picture of Ravi, a red panda cub, was taken when he was seven days old. Ravi has been bottle-fed and cared for by a special team of Greensboro Science Center staff members since his birth on June 20.
Initially, Ravi was bottle-fed every three hours and spent the night at team members’ homes until he was able to go longer between feedings. Bissert said Ravi is now up to just over three pounds and eats only four times a day. Ravi requires interaction as well, which he gets through playing with stuffed animals and moving around in his environment. While team members might be tempted to cuddle the cute little cub, this is prohibited.
“We’re really being strict with what we can and can’t do,” Bissert said. “He plays with toys. We don’t hold him or cuddle him. We have to be really careful because we don’t want him to get too comfortable with humans. This is to make sure we’re doing the best for him and that he is being raised as normally as possible.”
With help from his caregivers, Ravi has gotten stronger and was moved to the Shearer Animal Hospital in July, where he can be observed through a hospital window. At first, he spent a lot of time sleeping and there wasn’t too much to see, but these days he’s more active.
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