California zoo vets raising neglected baby red panda

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The newest furry member of the Sacramento Zoo is relying on human care after her mother started neglecting the tiny red panda.

Sacramento Zoo spokeswoman Laurel Vincent said Friday that the female cub was born Monday to 7-year-old Pili and 9-year-old Takeo.

Veterinarians took the 4-ounce (115-gram) hypothermic cub into intensive care a day after her mother left her unattended.

Vincent says the cub, not yet named, is fed every three hours and her health is improving, but she will likely be in an incubator for months.

Red pandas are endangered, and only 50 per cent of newborns survive more than a month. The zoo’s most recent red panda cub died after two days.

Fewer than 10,000 red pandas remain in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund.