Rare Nepalese Red Panda Born in New Zealand Zoo

A rare Nepalese red panda (pictures) has been born for the first time since 2002 in Auckland Zoo, New Zealand.

The cub, which weighs about 240 grams, was born Dec. 24, 2012 to 3-year-old mother Bo and 12-year-old Sagar. Sagar arrived at the zoo from India's Darjeeling zoo in 2010, as part of the international breeding program for red pandas.

"We're absolutely stoked. This birth is a fantastic result, especially as Bo was only introduced to Sagar last August, and given female red pandas come into season just twice a year and a male has only a one to two-day window to mate a female," zoo keepers said in a statement.

The 4-week-old offspring is doing well under its mother's care. According to zoo officials, Bo is staying for longer periods in the nest box and feeds her cub at least six times a day. The keepers expressed happiness over the panda's arrival, saying that it is the best Christmas gift they could ever have.

But visitors need to wait until April to see the cub venturing out of its nest box, as red pandas grow slowly and are dependent for at least three months. The sex of the cub will not be known until the full vet check is done in late February. However, zoo officials bet that the offspring is likely a female.

Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) are related to the popular black and white bears of China. Around 50 percent of the red panda's habitat is in the temperate forests of the Eastern Himalayas. According to World Wildlife Fund, an organization for wildlife conservation, there are less than 10,000 individual red pandas across the globe.  

The status of the species is declared as "vulnerable", with a significant decline in their population due to loss of habitat and bamboos.