Red Panda Amber Secretly Becomes Mom of Twins at Zoo
Red panda Amber has surprised keepers at ZOO Planckendael in Muizen, near Mechelen, by secretly giving birth to twins. Staff only discovered the newborns when camera footage showed Amber carrying a cub to another nest chamber, as Het Laatste Nieuws reported.
Keepers knew Amber was pregnant — her weight gain was a clear sign — and had prepared several nest chambers for the birth. But the days passed without any sign of newborns. “We were slowly starting to think it might not happen after all,” keeper Dieter told VRT NWS. “And then we suddenly saw her carrying a cub to another nest chamber. That’s a truly fantastic feeling.”
A Delayed Arrival
The cubs are believed to have been born in late July, with father Sumac. The delay in discovery is partly due to the unique reproductive biology of red pandas. “After fertilization, the red panda can delay the implantation of the egg for up to 3 months,” explained keeper Imke, as noted by ZOO Planckendael. This makes predicting birth timing extremely difficult.
Female red pandas are only receptive to mating for 18 to 24 hours during the annual breeding season, making successful reproduction a delicate affair. When everything aligns, one to two cubs typically arrive about four and a half months later.
An Exemplary Mother
“Amber is an exemplary mother,” said keeper Imke. “She carries her cubs from nest to nest and keeps a close eye on everything. When she gets food, she usually takes something with her.”
This moving behavior is natural for red pandas — it spreads scent trails and, in the wild, reduces the risk of predators finding the young. Keeper Dieter described the experience: “We were lucky to see the cubs nicely on camera when Amber moved them. She carefully carries them one by one by the scruff of the neck and chooses herself where she finds her cubs safest.”
The cubs were born blind and deaf, fully dependent on their mother during their first weeks. During their first medical check-up, veterinarian Jonas confirmed the twins are a male and a female, both in excellent health. The cubs will be microchipped and vaccinated, and names will be chosen — this year, all names must begin with the letter B. Fans will get the chance to vote via the zoo’s Instagram page.
Conservation Significance
This birth carries particular weight for the conservation of an endangered species. Red pandas live in the fragile bamboo forests of the Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan, and China, where their population has declined by an estimated 50 percent over the past two decades. Only about 10,000 red pandas survive in the wild, according to The Brussels Times.
ZOO Planckendael participates in the European Ex-situ Programme (EEP) for red pandas, which monitors genetic diversity across European zoos and supports educational and scientific roles. The zoo also supports the Red Panda Forest Guardians Project in Nepal, training local forest rangers to protect red pandas and their habitat, monitor populations, and combat poaching. As ZOO Science notes, 33 Forest Guardians have been trained and 338 kilometers of territory protected against poaching.
The birth is especially meaningful given the zoo’s red panda history. In 2021, red panda Phentok and her two newborn cubs were euthanized due to Phentok’s neurological condition, as VRT NWS reported. “Without a mother, the young really cannot survive,” said Sarah Lafaut, curator of mammals, at the time.
What’s Next
The cubs, now about four weeks old, can occasionally be spotted by attentive visitors when Amber moves them between nest chambers. Around two months of age, they will begin crawling outside independently. After five months, they will transition from mother’s milk to solid food.
For now, the zoo is giving Amber and her twins all the rest they need. As keeper Dieter reflected: “That makes every successful birth special again.”