Maple and Mei Mei won鈥檛 know why they received special treats and enrichment toys on Wednesday, June 14, but the surprises were to mark the first birthday of the red pandas.

鈥淭hey were born at the Greater Vancouver Zoo on June 14, 2022, to mother Sakura and father Arun,鈥� explained Joshua Banta, the zoo鈥檚 marketing supervisor. 鈥淭he red pandas at the Greater Vancouver Zoo are part of a global conservation program called the Species Survival Plan.鈥�

The animals traditional range is Northern Myanmar, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and into the West Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces of China.

鈥淩ed pandas are also the last surviving species in their taxonomic family, saving them preserves a piece of our world鈥檚 national heritage,鈥� he said.

The zoo was about to have Sakura undergo an ultrasound to find out why she wasn鈥檛 pregnant when they discovered that she had given birth to the twins.

鈥淲e kept keeper interaction to a minimum to allow her to raise her cubs as naturally as possible. Sakura is an excellent mother, very protective of her cubs,鈥� he said.

The cubs typically stay with the mother for a year before venturing off.

鈥淎fter this time the Species Survival Plan may pair them up with potential mates at other facilities. This is a huge success for the SSP and the ongoing conservation efforts of this endangered species,鈥� Banta added.

A red panda鈥檚 diet is 90 per cent bamboo, however they digest it quite poorly so they have to eat a lot of it. Their thick fur provides insulation from the cold. Red pandas typically live solitary lives. While usually fairly quiet, they do make a lot of interesting sounds, most notably something called a 鈥渉uff-quack鈥� which sounds like a pig snort and a duck quack. They also make little squeals and twitters.

Red pandas are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. On average, they spend about 45 per cent of the day awake.

鈥淥ver the last year we have seen these cubs come completely into their own, develop wonderful individual personalities and grow to be as big as mom and dad,鈥� he noted.

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