CAMPION, Colo. (CBS4) - A newborn calf that looks like a panda is getting extra attention in northern Colorado.

The rare and cuddly genetic treat arrived just before the new year. Chris Jessen breeds miniature cattle as pets and on New Years Eve he hit the cuteness jackpot with a rare panda cow.

“He has a panda face and that’s a hard thing to come by,” Jessen said. “So he’s got black around his eyes and he’s got a little black on his head and he also has the belt.”

Ben is technically a panda bull, but panda cow just sounds way more cuddly.

“Well right now there are only 24 currently that are registered pandas in the United States,” Jessen said.

 

Jesson owns another of the 24 pandas — he bred the adult miniature panda with a Lowline Angus and had a 50 percent chance of getting a panda look-alike.

So how much it worth?

“The interesting thing is a lot of people have talked about $30,000 is what they’re worth. At one time a couple of these cows did sell for $30,000,” Jessen said. “There’s been some misunderstanding that I have genetically mutated and was able to actually breed a bear and a cow, that’s physically impossible to happen.”

Jessen says he started breeding miniature cattle after first looking into breeding camels, or possibly reindeer.