Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire, UK, welcomed the birth of a new red panda in July. This is a cause for celebration, as the endangered red panda is numbered at less than 2,500 specimens in the wild. But this one is extra special due to the circumstances of its birth.
The cub was born to red panda Tilly and her partner Nam Pang. They were matched by an international breeding program, but failed to produce a cub in four years. Nam Pang died in June. Zookeepers were devastated, but within a couple of weeks noticed that Tilly has started nesting behavior. On July 16, a month after Nam Pang's passing, she gave birth to his only offspring. The new cub's gender is yet unknown, and it will not be named until it is old enough for a veterinary checkup. The red panda cub will not be shown to the public until the fall. -via Fark