Two Red Head Panda Cubs Born In Sikkim's Himalayan Zoological Park After Seven Years Of Breeding Drought; Watch Adorable Video

Bulbuley, Sikkim: A significant achievement commenced for the Himalayan Zoological Park, situated in Bulbuley, near Gangtok, Sikkim, when two red panda cubs started crawling at the conservatory, nearly seven years after a breeding drought. Himalayan Zoological Park (HZP) announced the newborns with an adorable video on social media. These cubs were born to parents Lucky(II) and Mirak, marking their first litter together and a notable milestone in the park's conservation efforts. The video of two panda cubs crawling and playing in the park is going viral now.

Two Red Head Panda Cubs Crawls Again At HZP

Taking to social media, the park posted a video of the cubs. The caption of the post reads, "The Himalayan Zoological Park (HZP), Bulbuley, is thrilled to announce the birth of two red panda cubs as part of its ongoing Red Panda Conservation Breeding Program. This is the pair’s first litter together and marks a significant milestone in the Park’s conservation efforts.

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HZP Conservation Breeding Programme

The HZP Conservation Breeding Programme was initiated in 1997, with a pair of red pandas, Preeti and Jugal. Their successful breeding laid the foundation for a massive genetic lineage. In 2005, the programme further strengthened with the inclusion of a wild-origin pair, Lucky and Ram.

The statement said that all red pandas born under this programme are tracked through national and international studbooks to ensure healthy genetic variability and global breeding cooperation.

Red pandas typically breed in the winter months between November and January. After a gestation period of around five months, females give birth between June and August, in warm, hidden nests. Remarkably, both Lucky(II) and Mirak were observed participating in nest-building rare instance of male involvement.

However, cub-rearing remains the mother's responsibility, who teaches the young to climb and forage. Any disturbance by predators or humans can result in the cubs being abandoned at this vulnerable age, said the statement.

It said that the cubs will be raised by their parents away from the public eye until they are old enough for viewing. These new cubs will stay with their mother for over a year, reaching full size by 12 months and becoming sexually mature by 18 months. Their health and compatibility will then be assessed as part of future breeding strategies.