Red Panda Cubs In Nest Box - Toronto Zoo

In the late afternoon of Tuesday, July 14, 2020, Ila, your Toronto Zoo’s two-year-old female red panda (Ailurus fulgens refulgens), gave birth to two healthy cubs. This is the first red panda pregnancy at the Zoo since 1996, and this is the first offspring for mother Ila with father Suva, a three-year-old male. Ila, from Woodland Park Zoo, and her mate Suva, from Assiniboine Park Zoo, are both relatively new Toronto Zoo residents, and were paired up at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Red Panda Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding program among accredited zoos. Both mom and cubs are doing well and Wildlife Care Keepers continue to monitor Ila and cubs closely, using cameras for minimal disturbance, to ensure cubs continue to nurse from Ila regularly. While the first few weeks are critical to the cubs’ survival, we are cautiously optimistic based on the activity we are observing on the cameras. Toronto Zoo announced Ila’s pregnancy on Friday, June 19, 2020 – whi