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One of the Calgary Zoo’s two red panda cubs has died.

When veterinarians viewed the cubs by monitoring camera late last week, they noticed the animal, born June 13, was not moving in its rear enclosure, said Zoo spokeswoman Trish Exton-Parder.

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When they moved in, the veterinarians found the female red panda, a species on the endangered list, was dead.

The cub was unusually small and died of natural post-birth causes, said Exton-Parder.

“It was quite a bit smaller and sometimes this happens when nature takes its course,” she said.

But it’s a loss that will be felt given the endangered status of the animal native to southwestern China and the eastern Himalayas, she said.

“It’s a sad loss for that program,” she said of the Survival Species Program that seeks to boost the numbers of certain animals in captivity.

Last year, the cubs’ mother, Sakura, gave birth to two healthy male cubs that will eventually be sent to other zoos for breeding purposes, said Exton-Parder.

“Those two little cubs are very valuable in the breeding program.” she said.

The remaining female newborn will be visible to the public in September.

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

on Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn