County Cork-based conservation centre, Fota Wildlife Park, has announced the birth of two endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens) cubs, born on June 7th.
And the race is on to name the new cubs, offspring of three-year-old mother Suzi, who arrived at Fota Wildlife Park from Berlin Zoo, and seven-year-old father Grga, who was transferred from Zagreb Zoo in Croatia in June 2019.
For now, the cubs remain in the nesting box, sleeping and nursing with their mother, and are not yet visible to the public. However, in the next two weeks, the cubs will start to explore the habitat outside their nesting box for brief periods in the early morning or late evening under the careful supervision of their mother.
The red panda is listed as endangered with its population declining in the wild. Primarily herbivorous, bamboo shoots make up the bulk of their diet. At Fota Wildlife Park, they are fed freshly harvested bamboo grown on-site.
The parents at Fota Wildlife Park are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), a collaborative initiative among European zoos and wildlife parks to ensure the survival of threatened species through coordinated breeding efforts. The species’ decline in the wild is primarily due to habitat loss and poaching across its native range in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
“We’re absolutely delighted to announce the births of the two red pandas,” said lead ranger, Julien Fonteneau. “It’s been two years since we last welcomed red panda cubs at Fota Wildlife Park. Their mother, Suzi, is a first-time mum and has taken to her new role with ease. She’s currently being very protective, displaying typical red panda maternal behaviour by keeping the cubs secure, while diligently feeding and grooming them.
“Being involved in the care of an endangered species is one of the most meaningful aspects of the animal care work at Fota Wildlife Park. We hope that the red panda births will raise awareness around species and biodiversity loss and will inspire and educate the visiting public and future generations.
“Although the cubs remain mostly hidden for now, visitors might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them when Suzi occasionally moves them between nesting boxes. Over the next few months, and as they grow more confident, the cubs are expected to make brief appearances during quieter periods of the day, closely supervised by Suzi.”
Fota Wildlife Park is calling on the public to help name the new cubs, to be in with a chance of winning one of two conservation annual passes, name suggestions can be entered via the wildlife park’s blog at www.fotawildlife.ie/blogs/news
Further updates on the red panda cubs can be found on Fota Wildlife Park’s social media platforms.
