Edmonton’s Valley Zoo Welcomes Rare Red Panda Cub
June 30, 2009
The Edmonton Valley Zoo has officially welcomed its newest resident Sha-lei, a rare Styan red panda cub. She was born on June 13 at the very healthy weight of 169 grams and is continuing to gain weight, significantly increasing her survival rate.
The Valley Zoo has become a leader in breeding and raising red pandas. Cubs previously born at the Zoo are now in accredited facilities throughout North America in support of the Species Survival Program.
“The Valley Zoo is an integral part of the red panda Species Survival program. With roughly only 50 Styans red pandas in the North American population, every birth is critical to the preservation of this sub-species,” said Sarah Glass, North American Red Panda Species Survival Coordinator.
“Not only does the Valley Zoo have an exemplary record of producing healthy red panda cubs, it also plays a vital role in sending captive born red pandas to other accredited facilities. The red panda survival program needs the help of dedicated, knowledge institutions like the Valley Zoo in order to effectively manage the captive red panda population,” added Glass.
Sha-lei was removed from her mother shortly after her birth when the mother began aggressively grooming her, which can jeopardize the baby’s life. To ensure her survival, Sha-lei will be hand raised by Sandy Heiliker, the Valley Zoo’s Animal Health Technologist. She will be responsible for the 24/7 care of Sha-lei, in conjunction with the Valley Zoo’s veterinarian Dr. Milton Ness. Sandy was responsible for the care of the twin pandas born in 2007 and 2008, who have all become robust young pandas.
Visitors will be able to see Sha-lei at the Zoo on July 1 from 9:30 to 3pm in the Saito Centre.
Pip, a female panda born at the Zoo in 2008, will be staying at the Valley Zoo to partner with a male red panda expected to arrive in September. It is hoped Pip will give birth in spring 2010 to cubs that will further support the survival of these rare pandas.
Each Species Survival program carefully manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining captive population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. Species survival programs are not a substitute for preserving animals in nature but are one strategy for creating healthy, self-sustaining, captive populations that can be reintroduced into restored or secured habitat.
In addition to the red panda program, several reintroduction programs that have saved and continue to save animals from extinction include the Mexican gray wolf, golden lion tamarin, great eagle owl, black rhino (the Zookeepers Association at the Valley Zoo raised more than $30,000 to support the rhino program), Przewalski's horse, trumpeter swan, Vancouver Island marmot, and on our own prairies, the swift fox. The white rhino was represented by a mere 50 to 200 animals at the beginning of the 20th century and its population is now 11,320 in the wild and 740 in captivity. There are dozens more programs all involving the coordinated efforts of zoos and other conservation organizations.
For more information:
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| Telephone | In Edmonton: 311 Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311 |
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| 311@edmonton.ca |
