DENVER – The Denver Zoo has two adorable new residents: A pair of red panda cubs born this summer.
The male cubs, who don’t have names yet, were born on Aug. 27 to mom Faith and dad Hamlet.
For the time being, the cubs are hanging out behind the scenes with mom. Zoo staff give them regular checkups and so far, they’re doing well. Staff say the cubs needed some supplemental feedings at first but they’re now growing fast and each weigh just over a pound.
This is the second litter for Faith and Hamlet, who came to Denver from other zoos in 2015 as part of a breeding plan to ensure genetic diversity in the red panda population.
Red pandas, which are most commonly found in Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar and China, are considered endangered due to habitat loss. Like giant pandas, red pandas have very particular diet needs and eat large amounts of bamboo every day.
Zoo staff say it will still be a few more weeks before the cubs are ready to venture out into the zoo’s red panda habit for public viewing.
