Upstate NY Zoo names new male red panda Teddy Graham. Here's why

The red panda born June 27 at Seneca Park Zoo is a male and he’s got a name — Teddy Graham.

“He is definitely a boy," said zoo veterinarian Dr. Chris McKinney. "Both eyes are now open, and he is growing fast.”

The month-old cub now weighs about ¾ of a pound, he said. He was abandoned by his mother, Raji, not long after birth and is being bottle-fed.

In a statement, the zoo explained that staff began referring to him Graham, which is McKinney’s son’s name.

Raji rejected the cub on Graham McKinney’s birthday, which Chris McKinney had to miss because he needed to provide around-the-clock care to the cub.

The name stuck, and then they added Teddy to it.

Can visitors see the red panda cub?

Visitors can still see him through viewing glass in the animal hospital on zoo grounds, 2222 St. Paul St., in Rochester. He will remain there for the next one to two weeks before being moved to larger quarters. The animal hospital is accessible to guests during regular zoo hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Raji and the other red pandas

Raji arrived at the zoo late last year from Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse based on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. The cub’s father, Willie, also fathered cubs Lukas and Micah with female Starlight. Starlight, Lukas and Micah were transferred to other zoos in 2023 as part of the species survival plan for red pandas.

Red pandas are an endangered species

Red pandas are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning they are at significant risk for extinction in their native ranges — the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China — in the near future.

The species population has declined by 50% over the past 20 years, the zoo states. The most common threats for red pandas are habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, hunting, illegal pet trade and disease, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Upstate NY Zoo names new male red panda Teddy Graham. Here's why