HELLO MY NAME IS…….
YOUR TORONTO ZOO’S BABY RED PANDA HAS A NAME!

TORONTO, ON, Friday, October 2, 2020: Your Toronto Zoo is excited to announce that our endangered female red panda cub, affectionately known as #BabyRed, has a name! With over 7,000 people voting in the “Help Us Name Our Baby Red Panda" promotion, one name has emerged as your favourite. introducing, Adira! Adira, meaning strong, was chosen through online voting from a list of four preselected  names. The naming promotion was launched on International Red Panda Day, Saturday, September 19, 2020 and ran through Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 11:59 pm.

In the late afternoon of Tuesday, July 14, 2020, Ila, your Toronto Zoo’s two-year-old female red panda (Ailurus fulgens refulgens), gave birth to two cubs. This is the first red panda pregnancy at the Zoo since 1996, and this is the first offspring for mother Ila with father Suva, a three-year-old male. Ila, from Woodland Park Zoo, and her mate Suva, from Assiniboine Park Zoo, are both relatively new Toronto Zoo residents, and were paired up at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Red Panda Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding program among accredited zoos.

The first five weeks for red panda cubs is very critical to the cubs’ survival. We were saddened to announce on July 22, 2020 that one of the red panda cubs had passed away.  It is suspected that Ila was not producing enough milk to feed both cubs, which is why the Zoo began supplemental feedings. Our team continues feeding our female red panda cub, Adira, while still keeping her with Ila to allow them to continue bonding. While the first few months are critical to the Adira’s survival, we are cautiously optimistic based on her progression that she will continue to grow healthy and strong.

In April 2015, the conservation status of red pandas was elevated to Endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN). Red pandas are elusive and challenging to study in the wild – their population has been estimated by experts as anywhere between 2,500 and 10,000 individuals, but all agree that the species is declining – by as much as 50% in the past 20 years. Illegal hunting and habitat loss are their primary threats. The Toronto Zoo is part of the AZA Red Panda Species Survival Plan (SSP) and continues to support field conservation efforts for the species through the Red Panda Network. To find out how you can support the endangered red pandas and other wildlife conservation work at your Toronto Zoo, please CLICK HERE.

Follow us on social media for updates on #BabyRed!

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Note to media:  Zoo staff are focused on the health and well-being of Ila and Adira and we will share updates as they become available. Media/photo opportunities are not available at this time.

Media Contact Information:

Amanda Chambers
Supervisor of Strategic Communications
[email protected]
(416) 938-5283