Red panda that escaped zoo last year fathers three cubs

July 2, 2014

Rusty the Red Panda, who escaped from the National Zoo last year, became a father last week. Photo via the National Zoo's Twitter — The National Zoo tweeted a photo of Rusty last year after the red panda escaped.

The red panda that escaped from the National Zoo a year ago became a father to three cubs last week.

The cubs are the first for Rusty, who made headlines last summer after he ran away to Adams Morgan.

His mate, Shama, gave birth at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute on June 26. The cubs appear healthy, NBC Washington reported.

Shama and Rusty moved to Front Royal, Va. in January to escape the flood of zoo visitors that came to see Bao Bao – the giant panda cub born this winter – and start a family.

Rusty, who is about the size of a raccoon, arrived at the National Zoo in April 2013. He escaped his enclosure a few weeks later, but was found when a woman about a mile away from the zoo tweeted photos of him in a bush.

Rusty & Shama are parents! They welcomed 3 cubs Fri. All 4 #SCBI red panda pairs had cubs this year #WeSaveSpecies pic.twitter.com/899Zslr4Xg

— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) July 2, 2014

The GW Hatchet

The GW Hatchet

The GW Hatchet

Red panda that escaped zoo last year fathers three cubs