Photo:
Red panda mom Hazel. Credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo
There's a cuteness overload at Woodland Park Zoo this season as baby red panda twins were born last week. The twin girls are the first red panda cubs born at the zoo in 29 years. Proud panda parents are mom Hazel and dad Yukiko.
The tiny cubs weigh just 5 ounces each and won't open their eyes until they're closer to 3 weeks old. Before rushing over to the zoo for a look, note that both the cubs and their mom are currently out-of-view to zoo visitors while bonding.
In a post on the zoo's blog, curator Mark Myers said, “We’re monitoring the new family via a den cam to ensure the cubs are thriving. Our animal care staff have minimal physical contact with the mom and cubs in order to minimize disturbance and allow Hazel a quiet environment. At this early stage, we’re seeing great maternal care and nursing events.”
While you're waiting for an in-person glimpse of the baby red pandas, watch a YouTube video of the cubs being weighed. And while the red panda cubs are the latest in a string of cuteness, visit some of the other cute new additions to the zoo.
New residents
- Papú, a burrowing owl chick, is a new animal ambassador-in-training
- A young mountain goat named Daisy is on view on the Northern Trail area
- New rhinos have joined the zoo
- Giraffe calf Lulu is growing tall in the African Savanna exhibit
- Yola the gorilla is growing up in the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit
Upcoming zoo events
- Thursday, June 28: Free carousel rides! Stop by the zoo to help celebrate the carousel's 100th birthday with free rides on Thursday, June 28, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Plus, free dessert will be offered to the first 500 guests and visitors can take a "carouselfie" with a carousel horse.
- Saturday–Sunday, June 30–July 1: Animals enjoy special holiday treats during Red, White and Zoo
- Thursday, July 5: Zoo for All celebration. Visit the zoo and learn about accessibility-focused changes it's making to welcome more kinds of families.
Red pandas look more like raccoons than their shared-name giant pandas, and they are likely related raccoons, skunks and weasels. Red pandas are an endangered species and fewer than 10,000 animals remain in their native bamboo forest habitat in China, Myanmar and the Himalaya. Woodland Park Zoo supports the Red Panda Network. To help support red panda conservation efforts, "adopt" a red panda through the zoo's adoption program.
If you go...Where: Woodland Park Zoo is located at 5500 Phinney Ave. N. in Seattle When: The zoo's regular summer hours are 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m. daily. Evening Zoo events take place select dates this summer: June 28; July 5, 19 and 26; and Aug. 1. Cost: Summer admission fees are are $20.95/adult, $18.95/senior, $12.95/child ages 3–12, ages 2 and under free. Upcoming special events:
Note: Free carousel rides and Zoo for All event coincide with Evening Zoo when the zoo stays open late, until 8:30 p.m. All three events are included with paid zoo admission or membership. |
