Toronto Zoo's red panda cub gets new name after voting

Article content

The Toronto Zoo would like to introduce Poppy the red panda cub.

The cub had been nicknamed Biggie, but 6,500 votes from the Zoo community officially picked the name Poppy.

“Poppy was selected as the winning name from five floral-themed options in honour of her mom, Sakura,  which is the Japanese word for flowering cherry blossom trees,” the Zoo said in a release.

“Thank you to everyone who voted to help give this adorable red panda cub a name.”

In the coming weeks, Poppy will have to option to leave her indoor habitat and explore a  smaller area outdoors.

However, many of these areas are not visible to the public.

In April 2015, red pandas were listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature.

Red pandas are difficult to study in the wild, but it is estimated there are between 2,500 and 10,000 animals.

Experts say the red panda population is declining by as much as 50% in the past two decades.

The Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy is partnered with the Red Panda Network to support conservation projects in the wild.

To donate in support of red pandas, visit www.wildlifeconservancy.ca/donate.