GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro Science Center (GSC) is delighted to announce the birth of two adorable red panda cubs, one male and one female, adding to the growing red panda family.
They were born on May 26 to Tai and Usha.
The arrival of these cubs has already brought excitement to the GSC's animal care staff. This is the second red panda litter born there.
"We were excited to once again receive a breeding recommendation from the Red Panda SSP program and were especially pleased to have twins this year instead of a single cub," VP of Animal Care & Welfare for the GSC, Jessica Hoffman said.
Hoffman explained that due to the genetic value of these cubs, they were also recommended to hand-rear if we saw any concerning behaviors from Usha again.
"After monitoring Usha for several hours on camera with the cubs, we started to see some precursor behaviors that concerned us about the cubs' safety, so we pulled them for hand-rearing. We know they are in good hands with our talented animal care team," Hoffman said.
Although technically considered carnivores, red pandas have adapted to feed mostly on bamboo. They eat roughly 20 to 30 percent of their body weight in bamboo and can eat up to 20,000 leaves a day.
Red pandas are considered endangered due to habitat loss, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
"Twins are a lot more common in pandas than singletons and when we discovered that she was carrying two through her ultrasound training, we were very excited," Red Panda Lead Keeper, Kelly Rauch shares. "Their personalities are already starting to shine through. The male is always looking for his sister after their feeds, while the female is independent and has a lot to say."
The cubs are currently staying in the GSC's Shearer Animal Hospital surgery room, which has been converted into a nursery.
In addition to viewing the cubs through the surgery window, guests are invited to watch feedings. Although feeding times are subject to change with little to no notice, they are currently scheduled for 11:45 a.m. and 3 p.m.
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