07/16/2025
The Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo at Millbrook School is pleased to announce the birth of an endangered red panda cub. The cub was born on the morning of June 16th to Lucy (female) and Zhu (male), a pair recommended for breeding by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program. This is the first birth for mom Lucy, age 7. Since 2014, this is the third successful red panda birth at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo, and the fourth cub to survive past the one-month mark.
The cub is doing well and growing normally. Animal care staff are closely monitoring the red pandas via video feeds and brief visual checks throughout the day. Lucy is nursing regularly and doing a great job caring for her baby, rearing the cub on her own.
Lucy was born in 2018 at the Scovill Zoo in Decatur, Illinois, and lived at the Philadelphia Zoo before coming to Millbrook in 2024. Zhu, age 12, was born in 2013, at Binder Park Zoo, and arrived at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo in 2017 from Zoo Knoxville. Zhu is the father of Sandy/Raj, born at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo in 2022 and residing now at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
The red panda is an endangered species—there are perhaps fewer than 3,000 left in the wild bamboo forests in China, Nepal, and Bhutan—and the population continues to decline with habitat loss. Infant mortality for red pandas is very high, with only one in three cubs usually surviving. Breeding and rearing them in captivity is very difficult.
Director of Animal Care Kyleen Depew reports, “We have closely monitored Lucy and her cub’s progress over the last month. We are excited to watch them develop each day. Lucy has been raising the cub in her exhibit without our assistance. This provides the best chance for a normal, healthy red panda baby, who can someday pass down those behaviors to their own offspring. During this time, Zhu has been able to remain in the exhibit with Lucy and the cub.”
While the cub remains inside the panda house in its nest box, Lucy and Zhu often come outside throughout the day and can been seen by zoo visitors. We do not anticipate the cub being visible to the public until the fall, when it will be big enough to come outside on its own. We are eager to share news of the cub and will be posting regular updates on social media. Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo visitors can currently view the nest box on live monitors throughout the zoo.
Red Panda Network The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Millbrook School
