Double joy at Zoo Prague. Red panda cubs born

Both red panda cubs are doing very well at Prague Zoo. So far, the zoo has successfully bred two males, Akim and Flin. Pat, a male red panda, is the father of all the cubs. Author: Tereza Mrhálková, Prague Zoo.

“The female, Regica, is exemplary in taking care of her first cubs. The male, Pat, is the father of two other cubs, Akim and Flin, that are now adults. These are the first red panda twins at Prague Zoo,” said Denisa Zběhlíková, the head keeper. “We don't know their sex yet; we have to wait until the cubs start leaving the den. They are growing fast, and their colouring is slowly taking on that of the adult animals, both in the face mask and the striped tail.”

Red pandas are very sensitive carnivorans and it is difficult to breed them. The IUCN has them listed as an endangered species in the wild. One of the threats they face is being hunted for their meat and fur, which symbolises happy marriages in the Chinese province of Yunan and is used to make honeymoon hats. Habitat loss is also a serious concern.

“The female, Regica, only came here last year, she is now two years old. While our male Pat is already thirteen years old. We are glad that our wish for Pat to breed again has come true and we hope that everything will be okay with the cubs. We can consider the breeding to have been a success when the cubs switch to solid foods,” added Pavel Brandl, the mammal curator.

Red pandas are a very attractive species for visitors, which is why their enclosure at Prague Zoo has a very exclusive space, right next to the main entrance.