Santa Barbara red panda cubs die after July births at zoo
Santa Barbara Zoo said both red panda cubs born July 2 to Ruby and Raj have died, with the latest death still under investigation.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
2 min read
The Santa Barbara red panda cubs born earlier this month have both died, the zoo said Monday, ending a short and difficult first litter for their mother, Ruby.
The second cub died over the weekend after intensive care from Santa Barbara Zoo’s veterinary and animal teams, according to the zoo. The cause of death is still being investigated, the zoo said.
Ruby gave birth to the two cubs on July 2. They were her first cubs, and the father was Raj, another red panda at the California zoo.
The first cub was found dead by zoo staff on July 21, according to a zoo statement. The second cub had already been removed from Ruby two days earlier, on July 19, after staff saw that it was not nursing as it should, the zoo said.
Why did the Santa Barbara red panda cubs die?
Santa Barbara Zoo has not announced a final cause for the latest cub’s death. The zoo said the surviving cub had been in critical condition while staff kept it in a temperature-controlled incubator and provided tube and bottle feedings, antibiotics and continuous veterinary monitoring.
The zoo said deaths among red panda cubs are not rare, citing a mortality rate of about 40%. In its statement, the zoo described the loss as heartbreaking for the people who cared for the cubs and for those who had followed their progress.
Because red panda breeding is seasonal, the zoo said Ruby and Raj’s next opportunity to breed will not come until next year.
What are red pandas?
Red pandas are small mammals, a bit bigger than a house cat, and are classified as endangered, according to the World Wildlife Fund. They are native to the eastern Himalayas, where the group says forest loss and shrinking habitat have helped push the species into danger.
The World Wildlife Fund also says red pandas can be killed in traps intended for other animals. Santa Barbara Zoo estimates that fewer than 10,000 mature red pandas remain in the wild.
The deaths are a blow for a species already under pressure and for a zoo pairing that had just produced its first litter. For now, the zoo has said only that the second cub’s death remains under investigation and that Ruby and Raj will not have another breeding chance until the next seasonal window.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.