A pair of red panda cubs made their first public appearance at Belfast Zoo recently.
Although the twins were born in June, red panda cubs are born blind and develop quite slowly, so the twins spent the first few months inside their den.
Over the last few weeks, however, the pair have become more adventurous and can now be spotted exploring outside for the first time.
The panda cubs were born to parents Chris and Vixen as part of a collaborative breeding programme. Chris arrived at Belfast Zoo, from Beekse Bergen Safari Park in the Netherlands, in 2013, with female Vixen arriving from Dresden Zoo in April 2017.
Red pandas – also known as ‘lesser’ panda or ‘firefox’ – spend most of their time in the trees. Their sharp claws make them agile climbers and they use their long, striped tails for balance. It was originally thought that this species was related to the raccoon family or even the giant panda, but red pandas have since been classified as a unique species in their own family, called Ailuridae.
Zoo manager, Alyn Cairns, said “Red panda are native to the Himalayas in Bhutan, Southern China, Pakistan, India, Laos, Nepal and Burma. However, red panda numbers are declining dramatically due to habitat loss and illegal hunting for their fur, in particular their long bushy tail which is highly prized as a good luck charm for Chinese newlyweds. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature believes that the red panda is facing a very high risk of extinction and they are listed as the 20th most globally threatened species by the Edge of Existence Programme.”
Alyn continues “Our mission is to be a major force in conserving and safeguarding habitats and wildlife to make a significant contribution to their survival in the future. Our red pandas are part of a collaborative breeding programme to ensure a viable safety net population in captivity. The twins are therefore not only a cause for celebration for the Belfast Zoo team but for the species as a whole. One of our roles is also to create conservation links between captive populations of endangered species being managed ex situ and wild populations being managed in situ. We support a number of in situ conservation campaigns including the Red Panda Network. This organisation is committed to the conservation of wild red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities.”
For more information on visiting Belfast Zoo or adopting a red panda, visit www.belfastzoo.co.uk/adoption
Discover Animals is a small team dedicated to bringing you the latest conservation and nature news. If you enjoy our content, please support our work with a donation from as little as £1.
