Tabby Adopts Red Panda Cub

Dutch zookeeper's cat lets abandoned panda join her litter
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 10, 2008 9:39 AM CDT
Tabby Adopts Red Panda Cub
In this image provided by Artis Zoo, a Dutch tabby cat nurses an orphaned red panda cub in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday July 9, 2008.    (AP Photo/ Artis Zoo)

A newborn red panda rejected by its mother has been adopted by a zookeeper's cat, the BBC reports. The panda and its sibling were first put on an incubator at the Dutch zoo but the tabby cat, who had recently given birth, proved willing to take the kitten-sized panda cubs under her paw. The weaker panda cub died but the other, still nameless, is suckling with the kittens.

"The young panda is doing well in the circumstances," said a statement from the zoo. "For it to survive, it is very important that it gets enough food and grows. We will see if this is the case over the next few weeks." (More panda stories.)

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