Baby Red Panda Born At National Zoo Facility

WASHINGTON, DC -- Say hello to the newest addition to the Smithsonian National Zoo family: an adorable baby red panda who entered the world earlier this month.

Moonlight, a 4-year-old red panda, gave birth to the cub on June 12 at the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute located in Front Royal, Va., according to a statement from the National Zoo.

"Moonlight and the cub appear to be doing well and keepers are cautiously optimistic that the cub will continue to grow," the statement reads. "The new mom has been very attentive to the cub, only leaving the nest box where it was born for very short periods of time to eat and drink. Keepers have been monitoring the pair via a closed-circuit camera in the nest box and they have seen Moonlight, an experienced mom, grooming and nursing the cub."

Keepers were able to do a quick visual exam and weigh the cub on June 19, after Moonlight left the nest box. They found that the newborn had a normal weight of six ounces. The cub will stay in the box for about two to three months, and then it will open its eyes and start to walk. The cub will remain with its mom until reach the age of a year to a year and half, the Smithsonian says.

Red pandas are native to the bamboo forests of Asia, where they face habitat loss and are classified as endangered.

"SCBI plays a leading role in the Smithsonian’s global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction and train future generations of conservationists," according to the statement. "SCBI spearheads research programs at its headquarters in Front Royal, Virginia, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and at field research stations and training sites worldwide. SCBI scientists tackle some of today’s most complex conservation challenges by applying and sharing what they learn about animal behavior and reproduction, ecology, genetics, migration and conservation sustainability."