The first red panda born at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in eight years is keeping herself scarce.
Betty the red panda was born June 4 at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
Courtesy photo
Betty, born June 4 to first-time mom Tian and father Liu, has access to the exhibit space, but has so far stayed in her behind-the-scenes nesting boxes, learning how to move and climb and develop her motor skills.
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She’ll likely stay back there until later this fall, the zoo said Wednesday in its birth announcement.
Betty the red panda was born June 4 at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
Courtesy photo
The zoo’s staff had to get creative when building Betty’s first home. In the wild, red female pandas that give birth will use a series of tree hollows or crevices for nests, moving their cubs from place to place. So zookeepers built a half-dozen bamboo boxes and lined them with wood wool.
Red pandas are considered endangered, and the zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ long-term species survival plan, which dictates the breeding and distribution of animals to try to keep their genetics diverse.
Photos: Meet Tonnie, the Children's Zoo's new spider monkey
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores the monkey enclosure at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, hugs her stuffed monkey at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a female 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores the spider monkey enclosure at Lincoln Children's Zoo.Â
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, has been learning to climb at the Lincoln Children's Zoo
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores the monkey enclosure at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, learns the ropes at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a female 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores the spider monkey enclosure at Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, is learning to climb at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a female 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores at Lincoln Children's Zoo.Â
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a female 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores the spider monkey enclosure in The Secret Jungle building at Lincoln Children's Zoo.Â
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a female 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores her enclosure in the Lincoln Children's Zoo Secret Jungle.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, sits in a swing at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores the monkey enclosure at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, was hand-reared by keepers at the Lincoln Children's Zoo after her mother failed to produce enough milk.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, has joined the rest of the troupe after being hand-reared at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Baby black-headed spider monkey
Tonnie, a 10-month-old black-headed spider monkey, explores her enclosure at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.
GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star
Reach the writer at 402-473-7254 or psalter@journalstar.com .
On Twitter @LJSPeterSalter
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