Meet Zin, the baby red panda born at a Southwest Michigan zoo

BATTLE CREEK, MI -- Binder Park Zoo has announced the birth of a female baby red panda cub named Zin, and invites the public to come see her.

Zin was born on June 24, and the Binder Park Zoo said on Tuesday, Aug. 29, that she’s now available to be seen by visitors.

Guests can see Zin’s playful antics up close in the Binder Park Zoo nursery window, located on the outside of the vet hospital off the walking path during normal zoo hours. Feeding times vary as Zin continues to grow, the zoo said.

The zoo is located at 7400 Division Drive in Battle Creek.

Red pandas are an endangered species native to the forests of the Himalayas and southwestern China, the zoo said.

Since 4 weeks old, Zin has been hand-raised by the zoo’s vet and animal care staff, after they discovered her mom was no longer able to produce enough milk due to a health issue. Zin’s mother, Binsa, has made a full recovery since giving birth, the zoo said.

The staff is hoping to reunite the pair in a couple months when Zin has transitioned from requiring formula to eating solid foods.

“We make every effort to keep mothers and their babies together, but sometimes the medical needs of one, or both require us to make the difficult decision to remove a baby for hand-rearing,” said Dr. Kim Thompson, staff veterinarian at Binder Park Zoo.

Prior to her arrival, a local organization, Puppywarmer, donated a new incubator, oxygen concentrator and other supplies.

The public can follow Zin’s journey through regular updates on the zoo’s social media channels.

“We want to share Zin’s progress with the world,” says Diane Thompson, President and CEO of Binder Park Zoo. “It’s a positive story about the unwavering commitment and care the zoo’s staff provides for all of our animals.”

For information, visit www.binderparkzoo.org.

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