Twin red pandas born at Zoo Boise. Naming rights will go to the highest bidder
Visitors to Zoo Boise may spot some cute new additions. Red panda parents Dolly and Spud had fraternal twins on June 21.
Since the cat-sized red pandas are endangered, a conservation program matches potential mates to ensure genetic diversity among those in zoos. Spud, who was not successful at breeding at a zoo in Idaho Falls, came to Zoo Boise a few years ago to reproduce with Dolly.
The number of red pandas left in the wild is difficult to evaluate, but estimates range from 2,500 to 10,000.
In 2019, Dolly and Spud had twin cubs as well. Most red panda mothers have twins, though litters can range from one to four cubs, Live Science reported.
Red pandas are pregnant for three to five months, according to the National Zoo. Gene Peacock, Zoo Boise director, explained in a phone interview that wild red pandas adjust their pregnancy length depending on food availability and other environmental factors.
“The good thing is, with Dolly, it’s almost like clockwork. If we think she’s pregnant, we can put up about a four-week window and say we’re going to have cubs (then),” he said.
Red pandas, once born, remain in their nest for about three months. However, this past weekend, Dolly brought the cubs out of the nest and into the yard “a few times,” Peacock said.
“If people do come to visit, we just ask for their patience. … She may have them out, she may not. And, as they get older, you’re able to see them more,” he said.
Mothers recognize their cubs through their smell and their squeaks, since their eyesight is poor.
In the wild, where red pandas are dispersed and humans don’t find them mates, red pandas leave behind scents for others to smell and taste. Even in the zoo, Peacock said, visitors can see red pandas with their tongues out tasting for others.
Zoo Boise plans to auction off the naming rights for the two cubs at its annual gala.
This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Twin red pandas born at Zoo Boise. Naming rights will go to the highest bidder."
