Names of newborn red panda cubs at Zoo Knoxville revealed

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The names of the first red pandas cubs born at Zoo Knoxville in the almost five years were revealed on Monday.

The pair of male cubs have been named Dr. Wallace and Mr. Darcy, a zoo spokesperson said Monday.

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One is named for Dr. Steven C. Wallace, an East Tennessee State University professor and curator of the Gray Fossil Site and Museum. The fossil site in Washington County is home to an Early Pliocene deposit dating back nearly 5 million years. Notably, two nearly complete giant red panda skeletons were discovered at the site.

The cubs were born on June 3. The last red panda born at the zoo was in June 2019. Zoo Knoxville is one of the most successful red panda breeding institutions in the country, with over 100 cubs born since 1978…

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