Zoo Boise, a division of Boise Parks and Recreation, is happy to announce the birth of two red panda cubs. The fraternal twin cubs were born on June 21, 2021 to parents Dolly and Spud. This is the couple’s second litter and Dolly’s seventh.
Like red pandas in the wild, the cubs have been spending their first weeks in the den with their mother. As they continue to grow and develop over the next few months, they will slowly begin to emerge from the den to explore the exhibit. Visitors to the zoo may be able to catch a glimpse of the cubs as they start to spend more time outside.
As she did with her previous litters, Dolly has been doing a fantastic job of caring for the cubs. Zoo Boise staff members have been giving Dolly as much privacy as possible, to ensure that she does not become stressed and continues to take excellent care of her new babies.
This red panda birth is very exciting and significant for Zoo Boise. The cub’s parents, Dolly and Spud, have been matched as part of the Red Panda Species Survival Program (SSP). The SSP is one of the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s many conservation programs. Its primary role is to serve as a breeding program for selected endangered or threatened species – a special animal dating service, if you will. The goal is to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population for these animals in order to increase their numbers and be able to reintroduce certain zoo-bred animals into their natural habitats, if necessary.
The naming rights for the cubs will be auctioned off at Zoobilee, Zoo Boise’s annual gala, on August 27, 2021.
Zoo Boise has turned the act of visiting the zoo into a conservation action. Since 2007, visits to Zoo Boise have generated more than $3 million towards the conservation of animals in the wild, redefining why we have a zoo. Zoo Boise is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, a national organization that supports excellence in animal care, conservation, education, and science.