A pair of endangered red panda cubs have been born at Blackpool Zoo.
Keepers found the two adorable additions nestled together shortly after their birth on June 19.
Mum, Alina, and dad, Tao Tao, who successfully raised two cubs in 2021, are caring for their young without any intervention, so the gender of the pair is yet to be confirmed.
Red pandas breed in spring and summer and cubs are totally dependent on their mother for the first three to four months until they start venturing out of the nest.
Luke Forster, Deputy Section Manager at Blackpool Zoo said: “It is wonderful to see Alina and Tao Tao become parents for the second time after they successfully raised two cubs in 2021.
“It will be a few more weeks before visitors are able to see the cubs, but we couldn’t wait to share the news!
“The species is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, with numbers still declining due to the loss of habitat from deforestation and the expansion of agriculture in their native Asian forests, meaning they are two very special babies.”
Red pandas are native to the Eastern Himalayas and spend most of their lives in trees, including when sleeping.
Often associated with the giant panda, they are actually more closely related to the raccoon.
They are smaller than people might expect – only the size of a typical house cat, with a long, bushy tail that can add up to 18 inches to their length.
The zoo recently welcomed a tiger to its big cat habitat.
Rusty is a male Amur tiger who was born at the safari park in 2019 alongside his sister, Yuki, to parents Yana and Red and he was an instant hit with visitors.
Blackpool Zoo opened its £1.5 million Big Cat Habitat to the public in May 2023 and it’s also home to African lion Khari and his pride Narla, Emma and Hira, as well as Alyona the Amur Tiger.
Rusty will live in the Big Cat Habitat at Blackpool Zoo which was designed and built to meet the demands of the animals who will call it home.
Share