4 days ago
Fota Wildlife Park celebrates birth of rare red panda cubs
The cubs were born at Fota Wildlife Park on June 7 - and are set to become some of the star attractions at the popular east Cork facility.
Red Pandas or Ailurus Fulgens are endangered because of loss of habitat, hunting and poaching.
The cubs are the offspring of three-year-old mother Suzi, who arrived at Fota Wildlife Park from Berlin Zoo, and seven-year-old father Grga, who was transferred from Zagreb Zoo in Croatia in June 2019.
The cubs are not yet visible to the public as, for their own development, they are being kept in a nesting box with their mother where they sleep and nurse.
The parents at Fota Wildlife Park are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), a collaborative initiative among European zoos and wildlife parks to ensure the survival of threatened species through coordinated breeding efforts.
The pandas decline in the wild is primarily due to habitat loss and poaching across its native range in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
Lead Ranger Julien Fonteneau said the births are a major boost to the park and the global breeding programme.
"We are absolutely delighted to announce the births of the two red pandas," he said.
"It has been two years since we last welcomed red panda cubs at Fota Wildlife Park. Their mother, Suzi, is a first-time mum and has taken to her new role with ease.
"She's currently being very protective, displaying typical red panda maternal behaviour by keeping the cubs secure, while diligently feeding and grooming them.
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"Being involved in the care of an endangered species is one of the most meaningful aspects of the animal care work at Fota Wildlife Park.
"We hope that the red panda births will raise awareness around species and biodiversity loss and will inspire and educate the visiting public and future generations.
"Although the cubs remain mostly hidden for now, visitors might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them when Suzi occasionally moves them between nesting boxes. Over the next few months, and as they grow more confident, the cubs are expected to make brief appearances during quieter periods of the day, closely supervised by Suzi."
Fota Wildlife Park will name the cubs following a public campaign.
To be in with a chance of winning one of two conservation annual passes, name suggestions can be entered via the wildlife park's blog at
Red pandas are primarily herbivorous, with bamboo shoots making up the bulk of their diet.
At Fota Wildlife Park, they are fed freshly harvested bamboo grown on-site.
The sheltered and temperate climate of Fota Island provides ideal conditions for bamboo cultivation, ensuring a sustainable and nutritious food supply.
Their diet is occasionally supplemented with fruits, insects, and small animals, especially during the warmer months.
Fota has successfully expanded from 22 animal species in 1983 up to 113 species at the moment.
From a focus on animals like bison and cheetahs, the park now has tigers, lions and rhino.
In its opening year of 1983, the east Cork park had 106,000 visitors.
It is now approaching 500,000 visitors per year - and ranks as the largest visitor attraction in the south.
It is now renowned as one of the world's leading breeding sites for endangered species and has successfully helped bring back species like the European Bison from the brink of extinction.
Fota has acclaimed breeding programmes for cheetahs, giraffes, lemurs and now both lions and tigers.
