By Herald staff
A red panda cub born at the Chattanooga Zoo in July is healthy and growing despite a pregnancy that initially went undetected because of an unusual reproductive process.
The cub, named Masala, was born July 6 to Saffron after multiple tests failed to confirm she was pregnant, the zoo reports. Officials say the pregnancy was affected by delayed implantation, a process in which an early-stage embryo remains dormant in the uterus before implanting and continuing to develop.
“There are many physical and environmental factors that could cause delayed implantation in an animal,” says Dr. Anthony Ashley, the zoo’s veterinarian. “Essentially, the animal can postpone development of its offspring until the time is just right.”
Red pandas typically mate between December and March, and animal care staff observed mating behavior between Saffron and Avi in February.
Veterinary staff later performed a series of X-rays in an effort to detect a fetus, but the tests appeared negative. By mid-June, however, Saffron had gained weight and declined to participate in another X-ray.
Because a red panda fetus’ bones calcify and become visible on X-rays late in pregnancy, zoo staff began to suspect Saffron might be carrying a cub after all.
The confirmation came unexpectedly several weeks later.
“Saffron became very restless one day and wouldn’t settle down,” zookeeper Dominique Daniel says. “I thought she could be in labor, so I kept a close eye on her. I checked the camera in her habitat around 11 p.m. and – surprise – there was a cub.”
Daniel says she contacted the rest of the animal care team and continued watching Saffron and the newborn until about 2 a.m. to make sure the mother was grooming and nursing the cub and displaying other appropriate behaviors.
Masala weighed about 4 ounces at birth, typical for a newborn red panda, and now weighs more than 2 pounds. Red panda cubs are born blind and deaf and generally do not open their eyes until they are about 2 weeks old.
For zoo officials, Masala’s arrival carried additional significance because Avi, the cub’s father, died in April.
“Masala has been our miracle baby,” says Darde Long, zoo president and CEO. “We really hoped Saffron and Avi would have one more cub, particularly after we lost Avi in April.”
Avi was born at the Chattanooga Zoo in 2016 and had reached the median life expectancy for a red panda in human care, according to the zoo. He had been dealing with a chronic genetic condition similar to Addison’s disease.
Masala’s name was selected by an anonymous donor. “Masala” means a blend of spices in Hindi, creating a connection with the cub’s mother, whose name also refers to a spice. The name also references India, one of the countries where red pandas are found in the wild.
Visitors can see Masala in the ground-floor red panda habitat in the zoo’s Himalayan Passage. Because the cub still spends much of its time inside a nest box, the zoo has installed a live video feed outside the habitat so visitors can watch Masala when it is not visible in the exhibit.
The zoo will hold a gender reveal party for Masala from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18 outside the red panda habitat.
The event, included with general admission, will feature games and activities, a photo wall, snacks and limited-edition Masala trading cards. One guest will be selected to participate in a presentation revealing the cub’s gender.