The Panda Tails – Volume Three

Welcome to our panda periodical; where we will keep you up to date with all the latest news about the progress of our new red panda twins born 16 June 2014.

Progress Report

Since our last update the panda babies have been named Mya and Anmar.

The twins, who are a boy and a girl, were given these names after we asked our Facebook followers to make suggestions that reflect their native history. Mya and Anmar were chosen because red pandas are found in the high-altitude forests of Myanmar, or Burma, as it is more commonly known.

Our keepers continue to carry a visual health check of the babies each day and log their findings in a diary. At 12 weeks old, the twins now have the clearly defined markings of their parents. Their fur, once pale, has deepened into the distinctive red-brown coat and both have developed the light cheeks and darker eye stripes. Mum, Mulan likes to keep an eye on the proceedings though! 

Interestingly Mya has taken on the slightly darker colouration of her mother, Mulan. On the other hand, Anmar has a comparatively lighter coat, much like his father, Tibao. The panda pair have also started to eat bamboo leaves which have been part-chewed by Mulan to make them more digestible. Yuk!

                    Red Panda Dad: Tibao                                                                         Red Panda Mum: Mulan

The cubs have been given microchips. These tiny chips store data about the animals so that they can easily be identified and monitored much like domestic pets. 

They are due out anytime from day 70, which is any day now so watch this space…

Keeper Sound Bite

Head Keeper, Mark Kenward: “Panda cubs are very playful by nature and our two are no exception. Mya and Anmar have great personalities and I suspect they will provide a great deal of entertainment once they are out and about, getting up to mischief.”

“The cubs are starting to get restless and are awake for the majority of the time now. They are both vocal and aware of their surroundings and it should not be too long before they start venturing beyond the nest box. They have even been spotted poking their heads out of the entrance!"