SEATTLE — One of Woodland Park Zoo’s red pandas may have a baby on the way.
Several months ago, the zoo introduced a new male red panda, Yukiko, to the zoo's female red panda, Stellar.
The pair mated and ultrasound examinations for the female are underway to determine whether Stellar is pregnant.
Ultrasound exams are done on the panda every two weeks. Stellar is enticed with treats to perch on a stand constructed by the keepers, and during the exams, she buries her face in a bowl of blueberries or biscuits soaked in apple juice.
The breeding season for red pandas occurs from early January through the end of April. If pregnant, Stellar is anticipated to give birth this month or in August.
"Stellar has not had any viable offspring yet," said Mark Myers, a curator at Woodland Park Zoo. "But we are cautiously optimistic this season because the new male, Yukiko, has successfully sired seven offspring."
The last viable birth of red pandas at Woodland Park Zoo was in 1989.
Though red pandas share the name of giant pandas, they more closely resemble raccoons.
Fewer than 10,000 red pandas remain in their native habitat of bamboo forests in China, the Himalayas and Myanmar and their population is declining.
KIRO
