Rare red panda twins make first public appearance at Longleat
The cubs were born earlier this summer at the Wiltshire safari park
Last updated 20th Sep 2022
A rare pair of adorable red panda twins have made their first public appearance at Longleat.
The 10-week-old cubs were born earlier in the summer but are only now beginning to venture outside.
The pair are the first to have been born to new parents Emma and Lionel as part of a successful breeding programme for the endangered species at the Wiltshire wildlife attraction.
Mum Emma only arrived at Longleat earlier this year but is proving to be an exceptional first-time parent.
“Both cubs are doing really well, Emma is a great mum and she has been looking after them fantastically,” said Keeper Sam Allworthy.
“Although we have yet to name them, we have been able to do their first health checks and can confirm they’re both females.
“These are the seventh and eighth red pandas to have been born here at Longleat. Previous cubs have gone on to collections all over Europe and have even had cubs of their own,” she added.
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Red pandas are increasingly under threat due to habitat loss, deforestation and poaching. It is thought there may be as few as 2,500 living in the wild.
The species was officially designated as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2008 when the global population was estimated at about 10,000 individuals.
Red panda facts!
Found in Nepal, Bhutan and China, they live among bamboo forests and spend much of their time in trees.
In the wild red pandas are solitary animals, and they only really ever come together to breed.
Like giant pandas about two-thirds of their food intake is made up of bamboo. As it is relatively low in calories, red pandas tend to spend much of their time either eating or sleeping.
As well as plain bamboo, keepers supplement their diet with a mix of fruits, eggs and the occasional insects. They also make a special type of bamboo cake which the pandas are especially fond of.
In addition to being part of the European Endangered Species Programme for the Red Panda, Longleat is also helping to fund habitat restoration and replanting programmes in Nepal.