Little Red, a baby red panda who gave a ray of hope to conservationists everywhere, has begun to take its first steps outside. The cub, who was born on June 16 – just a month after the death of its father, Nam Pang – seems keen to explore, much to the keepers’ delight and relief.
Footage, filmed by Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire, England showed Little Red tentatively exploring its enclosure under the watchful eye of mother Tilly. The park had hoped to determine the sex of the cub. However, the little ball of fur was too much of a handful for the vet to accurately check, and it still remains unnamed. It plans to put Little Red’s new name up for a public vote soon – once the little fidget calms down enough for the checks to be made accurately.
Little paws in the great outdoors!
‘Little Red’ has recently started venturing out of the nest box and exploring with mum Tilly!
How cute is this little bundle of joy?
#redpanda #zooborns #wildlife #babyanimals #cuteanimals #paradisewildlifepark #zoo pic.twitter.com/kqX99Xr13e
— Paradise Wildlife Park (@ParadiseWLPark) October 18, 2022
Although park keepers and guests are big fans of the little one’s outdoor adventures, mom, Tilly, is not. She has been having a hard time letting Little Red fly the coop. A spokesperson for the park said: “Whilst the cub is being very brave and wanting to climb everywhere, Mum Tilly is still very protective and keeps putting ‘Little Red’ back into the nest box.
“However, ‘Little Red’ is slowly appearing more and more each day. Visitors might even get to spot the cub trying to climb the areas near the nest box when visiting the park.”
Red panda cubs are especially vulnerable in their first six months of life, and a cub’s first outing outdoors is a good indicator of good health in a youngling. They are also classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
There has been a staggering 50% decline in the species in the last 20 years, leaving approximately 2,500 remaining in the wild. This terrifying decline in their numbers is associated with climate change, illegal capture as pets, and a decline in their natural habitats.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker.
