Winnipeggers asked to name Assiniboine Park Zoo's new red panda

An international effort to boost the world's population of red pandas has been fruitful at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo.

Red pandas Sachi and Tango, who were matched through a breeding program run by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, gave birth to a baby male cub earlier this summer.

Now the zoo is asking for help naming the new cub.

"The Assiniboine Park Zoo has a long and very successful history of participation in the red panda breeding program and the birth of a new red panda is definitely something worth celebrating," said Grant Furniss from the zoo in a release.

Red pandas are an endangered species and the mammal's numbers in their eastern Himalayan natural habitat have declined more than 50 per cent over the last three generations, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The breeding program watches red pandas in captivity worldwide and plays matchmaker, with an eye for making sure the pandas it pairs up have good genetic diversity.

The yet-to-be-named cub is Sachi and Tango's thirdsince they werematched in December 2016. Last summer saw the birth of the couple's firstson Suva and daughter Tanvi.

Sachi the red panda finally finds romance at Winnipeg zoo

8 years ago

Duration 0:51

The relationship between these two is more than just a fuzzy feel-good Valentine's Day story; they carry the hopes of an endangered species that faces threats from deforestation and illegal poaching.

Now, as the new addition to the growing family is starting to explore his habitat at the zoo's Toucan Ridge exhibit, the public is getting the chance to pick its name through an online poll.

• The names to choose from include: TJ (Tango Jr.) in honour of his father
• Mambo a Latin dance (father is named after another popular South American dance)
• Thulo Nepali for 'big'
• Zami a river in Myanmar
• Makalu the fifth highest mountain in the world, located in the Himalayas

Voting opened on the zoo's website Friday and votes can be cast until Oct. 16.

More from CBC Manitoba: