FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Public Relations
619-685-3291
publicrelations@sdzwa.org
sdzwa.org
NEWS RELEASE
Three-month-old Red Panda Cub at the San Diego Zoo Named In time for International Red Panda Day
Cub is the First Born at the Zoo in Almost Two Decades
SAN DIEGO (Sept. 15, 2023) – It is a special International Red Panda Day for the 3-month-old red panda cub at the San Diego Zoo, after the conservation organization announced her new name. The endangered cub will now be called Pavitra (pronounced pah-vee-tra), which means “sacred” in Nepali. Pavitra was born June 9 to first-time parents Adira and Lucas, and she is the first red panda born at the Zoo since 2006.
Red pandas are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, due to their dwindling global population. They face many threats, including habitat loss and degradation related to increased human encroachment and climate change. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance collaborates with multiple partners to identify unprotected red panda habitats, train teams to monitor the health of the forest and provide awareness-building workshops in communities in Nepal where red pandas live.
San Diego Zoo guests may be able to catch a glimpse of Pavitra as she explores her outdoor Asian Passage habitat.
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About San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, a nonprofit conservation leader, inspires passion for nature and collaboration for a healthier world. The Alliance supports innovative conservation science through global partnerships. Through wildlife care, science expertise and collaboration, more than 44 endangered species have been reintroduced to native habitats. Annually, the Alliance reaches over 1 billion people, in person at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park and virtually in 150 countries through media channels, including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers television programming in children's hospitals in 13 countries. Wildlife Allies—members, donors and guests—make success possible
