DARJEELING: There are good tidings for the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Pnhzp) popular as the Darjeeling zoo. Two red panda cubs were born in captivity at the Zoo.
This year alone 7 Red Pandas have been born in captivity under the Pnhzp.
"Kitchi, a zoo bred red panda has given birth to two cubs in the zoo premises. The cubs have been fathered by Satwik. Both the mother and cub are doing fine. These are the sixth and seventh births of Red Pandas this season," stated Dharamdeo Rai, Director, Pnhzp.
The count of red pandas has gone up to 27, added the Director.
Incidentally the Pnhzp is the coordinating zoo for the Red Panda breeding programme (Project Red Panda) in India since the inception of the project in 1990.
The Pnhzp was founded in 1958 and specializes in the captive breeding of endangered Himalayan species including Red Panda, Snow Leopard,Tibetan Wolf, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Tahr and Satyr Tragopan (crimson horned pheasant.)