EDMONTON — A red panda raised by hand at the Edmonton Valley Zoo is successfully raising a baby of her own.
The female cub was born Aug. 1 and is named Qiji (CHEE’-chee), which means “miracle” in Mandarin.
Qiji’s mother Pip was born at the zoo in May 2008 but had to be taken away from her mother who was over-grooming her. Despite being hand-raised, Pip’s instincts kicked in. The zoo says she’s taking excellent care of her baby. Zoo staff continue to monitor the cub while giving Pip the time and space she needs to gain confidence as a new mother.
“The fact that Pip, who was hand-raised, has naturally taken to mothering is a huge success for our red panda breeding program,” said animal care team leader Sandy Helliker, who looked after Pip when she was a youngster.