SF Zoo welcomes young female red panda named Little Mebo

An endangered young female red panda named Little Mebo has been welcomed to the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, officials said Friday.

Little Mebo's name was chosen by San Francisco Zoological Society board member Kevin Xu in honor of his mother and to complement the animal's playful and curious nature.

The youngster was flown to San Francisco from Memphis as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for Red Pandas, said Tanya Peterson, chief executive officer and executive director of the zoo.

Zoological experts "study various factors before moving an animal to ensure the genetic diversity of a species," she said. "SF Zoo has provided a safe haven for the endangered red panda for several years, and we are honored to provide a home for Little Mebo."

SF Zoo's assistant curator, Andrew Poole, who accompanied Little Mebo on its Southwest Airlines flight from Memphis, said many travelers were able to view the red panda as he wheeled its crate through the airport.

"It was hard to keep a low profile with Little Mebo peeking over the mesh door covering of the crate every 30 seconds. Everyone was beyond excited to see her," Poole said in a statement.

"As the plane climbed to 35,000 feet, I looked into the crate to check on her and saw that she was doing well and calmly chewing on some bamboo, enjoying her flight."

Little Mebo joins the zoo's male, Tenzing, and an older female, Hunter, at the Red Panda Treehouse located at the Zoo's Youth Exploration Zone.

Last month, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted in favor of Mayor London Breed's plan to bring pandas to the San Francisco Zoo, passing it 9-2.

The mayor's push for panda diplomacy needed the support of the board of supervisors to start raising the private funding required to get the San Francisco Zoo panda ready at an expected cost of $25 million.

Last April, the San Diego Zoo has announced they will get two new pandas from China after nearly all of the giant pandas on loan at U.S. zoos were returned to the country.