The Knoxville Zoo’s newest red pandas are twin boys, each weighing about a pound, that spend their days nestled in their nest box at the park’s Boyd Family Red Panda Village.
The cubs, number 107 and 108 born at the zoo, add to the park’s reputation as a premier place for red panda breeding and care. More red pandas have been born at the zoo than at any other in the world.
The as-yet-unamed boys are the children of mother Scarlett, 3, and father Madan. They were born June 23, on Madan’s 16th birthday. Age 15 is the oldest known age for any red panda to father offspring and Zoo Curator of Red Pandas Sarah Glass said today the twins are Madan’s last children.
The boys are the second litter born to Scarlett and Madan. Scarlett, a first-time mom last summer, is continuing her laid-back parenting style, Glass said. She’s nursing and caring for the cubs whose eyes opened last week and also enjoying time spent in the red panda outdoor exhibit while her babies sleep.
The cubs won’t be venturing outdoors for another eight weeks, when they are about three months old. But panda fans can see the cubs in their nest box through PandaCam, a partnership with the zoo and the News Sentinel. To see what’s going on, viewers can click here.
