FARGO - A newborn Red Panda cub is now cuddling up and calling Fargo home.
Mattie was born June 14 at the Red River Zoo, according to a zoo news release.
The zoo partnered with MATBUS in the naming of the cub, and Mattie will serve as an ambassador to the Red River Zoo and as a mascot for the metro-wide bus system.
Officials hope to use Mattie to encourage young people to ride the bus, and the summer youth bus passes will feature the newborn panda cub, the release stated.
Mattie is currently staying indoors with his mother and will venture out into the outdoor exhibit in a few weeks, the release said.
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His parents, father Yukiko and mother Shantou, are 8 years old and were imported by the Red River Zoo in 2007 from Japan. The Red River Zoo is a leading breeder of Red Pandas and has bred one-fourth of the captive species in North American zoos, according to the release.
The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Copyright 2013, Forum News Service.
