Unlikely Adoption at Artis Zoo

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

A red panda living at the Artis zoo in Amsterdam gave birth to cubs last month, only to abandon them. According to zoo spokesman Bart Kret, "She left them there, lying in the cold." Red pandas are an endangered species native to China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Burma. In an effort to save the babies, zoo employees kept them in an incubator. But without a mother, the cubs' chances were not good. One of them died last Thursday.

But the other cub has been adopted by an unlikely Mommy; a Dutch house cat. One of the zoo's employees' pet cat gave birth to a littler of kittens not long before the panda cubs were born, and she has graciously allowed the baby panda to sleep, play, and nurse with her own offspring. With luck, the cub will reach adulthood.

Anyone willing to sponsor the baby panda may earn the honor of naming her, according to zoo officials.

For more information, visit http://news.aol.com/story/_a/dutch-house-cat-adopts-red-panda-cub/20080709151909990001

And even if you DON'T want more information, visit that link anyway. There's a picture of a cat nursing a panda!