National Zoo seeks public help to name red panda in Front Royal
The Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute needs assistance naming a female cub in Front Royal. Voters will choose an official title from three curated options for the animal. The young creature is ready to make her public debut.
Parents Keahi and Rocket welcomed the female cub on June 11. She resides at the zoo conservation campus in Front Royal, Virginia. An animal care team selected three possible names for the cub, according to a Saturday social media post.
The caretakers are considering these options:
- Dolly: Inspired by the “Queen of Country,” the late Dolly Parton
- Pyra: Meaning “heat” in Greek
- Dolpa: A region of Nepal that is home to wild red pandas, and where the AZA’s SAFE Red Panda Program is working to conserve the species
Those hoping to help select the cub’s name can vote online. The birth of the four-month-old cub followed closely behind two other cubs. Those two newborns include one male and one female.
The conservation facility serves as a dedicated site for animal care and species research. The campus houses breeding pairs alongside their new offspring. Both families remain at the Front Royal campus. The site is closed to the public.
