Red panda: Gives Birth To 2 Healthy Cubs At Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo says a 2-year old Red panda named Ila gave birth to healthy cubs in advance this week. 

The zoo says it is the primary time a Red Panda has been pregnant there in 24 years.

Staff first introduced the panda’s being pregnant in June, after noticing more than one breeding attempts between the animals earlier this year. Keepers are now staring at the cubs through video cameras to make sure they don’t disturb them from nursing.

The zoo says it’s cautiously optimistic about the cubs surviving. Red pandas are the endangered species native to southwestern China and the jap Himalayas, and specialists estimate there are between 2,500 and 10,000 of the animals inside the wild.