Hello, Mambo: Name chosen for Winnipeg zoo's new red panda

The red panda cub formerly known as nothing, now has a name.

Say hello to Mambo.

Last week, the Assiniboine Park Zoo set up anonline poll and asked the public to vote on one of five name choices for the cub, who was bornJuly 6, 2018.

The options included:

• 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

Mambo won by a mile, according to theAssiniboine Park Conservancy. It received 1,111 votes, while the runner-up was TJwith 677.

The names, submitted by zoo staff,all held significance either to the parents' names or cultural significance to the Himalayas, the native region for the endangered red pandas.

The mammals' numbers in theireastern 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 Assiniboine Park Zoo is part ofabreeding programrun by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Mambo's parents, Sachi and Tango, were matched through it in December 2016 and have since given birth to three cubs, including Mambo.

Their firstson, Suva, and daughter Tanvi, were born in summer 2017.