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A five-week-old red panda has arrived at the Debrecen Zoo for his first public medical examination.
The fruit of the union of a German father and a French mother currently weighs 410 grams. According to his keeper, he is developing well, which is no wonder, as his mother, Maci, is almost spoiling her firstborn.
“She never leaves him alone and spends most of her time in the den with him. She bathes him, feeds him, looks for cooler places, and when the sun is shining, she moves him from one enclosure to another, all for his well-being,” zookeeper Ágnes Molnár Nagy said.
The species is highly endangered and difficult to breed in human care, so it’s no wonder that the successful participation in the red panda breeding programme has become one of the jewels in the crown of the life of the 65-year-old Debrecen Zoo.
Decades of preparatory work have paid off, and after optimising the conditions, the animals have found a real home.
Choosing the right place here in the Great Forest – in terms of humidity and temperature, we had to find a shady place for them in terms of the holding area and the diving theme, as you can see, is made of bamboo, but we had to build the cooling and heating system there, so the individuals arrived in a suitable microclimatic environment, Sándor Gergely Nagy, the managing director of Debrecen Zoo, explained. So far this year, 100,000 people have passed through the gates of the Nagyerdei Culture Park.
According to Mayor of Debrecen László Papp, the city card offering a ten percent discount could help the people of Debrecen. The mayor also highlighted the professionalism of the staff.
“I am very proud to have a wonderful little oasis in the most beautiful forest in the country. Animals can be directly observed, seen and loved here in the Great Forest of Debrecen. With 200 species and 900 specimens, the Debrecen Zoo shows a very colourful palette of the world’s wildlife,” the mayor stressed.
The little red panda girl’s name has not yet been decided, but the zoo would like to involve visitors in the choice.
The five-week-old panda cub spends most of its time resting, but lucky visitors are increasingly likely to see it being carried by its mother.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
