Budapest Zoo opens public viewing for red panda cub Cékla

Cékla, a nearly five-month-old female red panda born in Budapest, is now available for public viewing at the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden’s India House. Born on May 25, the cub was orphaned after her mother, Dayah, died in August from red panda amdoparvovirus (RPAV), a viral disease affecting the species.

Because male red pandas do not participate in cub rearing, zoo keepers have been hand-rearing Cékla. After spending her early months in a quarantine station and a nesting box to ensure tranquility, she has developed enough independence to be moved to the interior of the India House. This location allows her to develop essential skills in a secure environment while remaining visible to visitors.

As part of a European breeding program for this endangered species, Cékla is expected to be transferred to another European zoo in the future. Researchers from the zoo and the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest continue to study the circumstances surrounding the activation of the RPAV virus within red panda populations.