"Today our veterinarians gave our furry new arrivals a quick check of their body condition, eyes, teeth, ears, and weight," senior zookeeper Karen Rotherham said. "We are delighted to learn that we have a healthy male and female."
The checkup took place Jan. 30 at the Asian Rainforest exhibit to ensure minimal interference.
Twin red pandas were born at Perth Zoo in Australia on Dec. 2, 2019. Red pandas are native to the Himalayan Mountains and foothills in India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan. (Perth Zoo)
"Maiya is an attentive mum and luckily she has been comfortable allowing the keepers to check in on the cubs too," Karen said. "Red pandas are endangered in the wild, so the birth of these twins was a very important achievement for the coordinated breeding program."
Indeed, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has red pandas on its "Red List" of endangered species.
Red pandas are native to the Himalayan Mountains and foothills in India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan.
"Their fragmented habitats mean that a lot of breeding opportunities in the wild are missed so the zoo breeding program is vital to ensure we have an insurance population," Rotherham said. "Perth Zoo has had significant breeding success with 21 red pandas born at the zoo since 1997."
Twin red pandas were born at Perth Zoo in Australia on Dec. 2, 2019. The IUCN lists red pandas as endangered. (Perth Zoo)
Red pandas aren't directly related to giant pandas. Rather, they're part of the superfamily that includes weasels, skunks, and raccoons.