Lincoln Children’s Zoo announces birth of twin red pandas
Red pandas are listed as an endangered species
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Lincoln Children’s Zoo announced the birth of twin red pandas, an endangered species, on Wednesday.
The Zoo said William and Robin, both male cubs, were born at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo on June 25, to second-time mom, Tián, and first-time dad, Rowan. Zookeepers can tell them apart by their size and color. William is bigger and more grayish and lighter in color. Robin is the smaller one and has always been a bit darker in color.
Newborn red panda cubs are about the size of a ‘Twinkie’ with thick gray fur and are born with their eyes and ears closed, the Zoo said. William and Robin both opened their eyes around two months old.
In 2022, Tián gave birth to Bety, the first red panda cub born at the Zoo in eight years.
According to the Zoo, after female red pandas give birth in the wild, they will use tree hollows or rock crevices lined with plant material for nests. To replicate this, Zookeepers created six nest boxes behind the scenes with bamboo and wood wool inside as nesting material. The multiple nest boxes allow Tián to choose which box she wants them in.
Red panda moms typically move their cubs around to keep them away from predators or when there are environment stressors, the Zoo said. Mothers will spend almost all their time in the nest box with the cub for the first few weeks after giving birth and as the cub gets older, they will spend longer periods of time away but still in proximity.
Red Pandas are listed as Endangered on the International Union Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, meaning they face a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
“Red Pandas are an endangered species with less than 10,000 remaining in the wild, so this birth is incredibly important for animal conservation efforts,” Evan Killeen, Lincoln Children’s Zoo CEO said. “This is Tián’s second birth and she’s been doing a great job taking care of her young alongside our zoo team who has created a healthy and comfortable environment for her to do so.”
The Zoo said Tián, William, and Robin currently have access to their exhibit space; however, guests will likely not see them on exhibit until sometime this fall. The cubs will continue to spend almost all their time in their nest boxes as their motor skills continue to develop and as they learn to climb and move on their own.
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