A red panda cub has been born at the National Zoo in Washington for the first time in 15 years.
The zoo says Thursday that red panda mother Shama gave birth to a single cub on June 16. The father is 3-year-old Tate, who came to Washington last year from the Nashville Zoo.
The zoo has temporarily closed the red panda exhibit to give the mother and cub privacy. Until it reopens, visitors may be able to get a glimpse from the upper viewing area on the Asia Trail.
Red pandas are native to China, the Himalayas and Myanmar. They are an endangered species, with fewer than 2,500 left in the wild.
Shama was born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. It also had a recent red panda birth.
