The joy over the birth of two rare red pandas at the Santa Barbara Zoo has turned to sadness.
The pandas were born July 2. They initially did well, but one of the pandas died last week. Then, the second panda was removed from his mother's care because veterinarians determined he wasn’t getting enough nutrients while nursing from his mother.
He was put in an incubator and received tube and bottle feedings. Over the weekend, his condition worsened. He was given oxygen and antibiotics, but he passed away. The deaths of both pandas are being investigated.
The mortality rate among newborn red pandas is high — in the 40% range.
Red Pandas are endangered, with the global population estimated at fewer than 10,000. They're native to the mountains of a half dozen countries in Asia, including China and India.
