University Centre Sparsholt are delighted to share that two red panda cubs have been born to parents Meeko and Thimpi in the Animal Health and Welfare Research Centre (AHWRC).
The Red Panda cubs, Zemiak (boy) and Fazula (girl), where born in late June and are growing in confidence every day. Their names are Slovak words which were chosen to honour the cub’s dad, Thimpi, who had originally joined us from Košice Zoo in Slovakia.
Did you know? Zemiak translates to ‘potato’ and Fazula to ‘bean’
The AHWRC team are overjoyed, as the birth is both an incredible achievement for them and a victory for this much-loved species which is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Shani Ratnayake, AHWRC Manager, shared her excitement:
“We are extremely proud of Meeko and Thimpi who were only together for a short time before breeding. The animal keeping team have been instrumental in caring for the cubs and ensuring they get everything they need. First time mums can sometimes find cubs a little tricky however, Meeko is doing a fantastic job, and the cubs are turning into quite the characters.”
Maisie Blunt, Zoo Mammals Keeper explained:
“Although the exact numbers are unknown due to the elusive nature of the species, it is thought that there is less than 10,000 in the wild, with the population decreasing. This makes it even more incredible that we have welcomed two cubs.”
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