This was published 7 years ago
Taronga Zoo's red panda cub nursed back to help after neck injury
An adorable baby red panda who suffered horrific neck injuries has a second lease on life thanks to a cuddly toy and a Sydney zookeeper.
Maiya, a two-month-old red panda cub born at Taronga Zoo, was injured while being carried in her mother's mouth when she was only a few weeks old.
The red panda cub with her cuddly toy and her keeper, Tamara Gillies.Credit: Paul Fahy/Taronga Zoo
Maiya received urgent veterinary care for the neck wound and is now being cared for around-the-clock by keeper Tamara Gillies.
She has been given a cuddly red panda toy, which she snuggles while feeding and sleeping.
The red panda cub with her cuddly toy.Credit: Paul Fahy/Taronga Zoo
"She's definitely a little survivor," Ms Gillies said.
"She's guzzling down her milk formula, she's gaining weight every day and the wound on her neck has almost completely healed."
Maiya, whose name means "little girl" in Nepali, was born at Taronga on November 20 to first-time parents Amala and Pabu.
The cub spent her first five weeks in Amala's care before keepers made the difficult decision to intervene.
The red panda cub with her keeper, Tamara Gillies.Credit: Paul Fahy/Taronga Zoo
"It was a hard choice as we'd always prefer for a cub to be raised by its mother," Ms Gillies said.
"Amala was doing an amazing job for a first-time mum. She was very attentive and we observed all the right suckling and grooming behaviours, but unfortunately the injury to the cub's neck required urgent veterinary care."
The red panda cub with her keeper, Tamara Gillies.Credit: Paul Fahy/Taronga Zoo
Ms Gillies said it was not uncommon for red panda cubs to be injured as mothers often carry their cubs by the scruff of the neck.
Taronga keepers are hopeful Maiya will soon return to her parents' care, with steps underway to reintroduce her to them.
"It's good for her to be comfortable around us, but we want her to maintain the natural behaviours of a red panda and hopefully grow to raise cubs of her own," Ms Gillies said.
Red pandas are classed as endangered due to poaching and habitat loss in Asia and fewer than 10,000 are thought to remain in the wild.
AAP, Fairfax Media