Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Two red panda cubs are proving that nature knows best. Born June 15, 2025, Nuba and Numa are thriving at the Himalayan Zoological Park in Sikkim. The brother-sister pair, offspring of Lucky (II) and Mirak, each weigh between 3 and 3.5 kilograms. They are growing fast. The cubs are now climbing trees, a vital skill for life in the forest canopy.
Conservationists are keeping their distance. The zoo follows a policy of minimal human intervention to ensure the cubs retain instincts needed for survival. Dr. Minla Zangmu Lachungpa, a zoo conservation biologist, explained the strategy. "All cubs in the Breeding Program are parent-reared without human intervention so they can learn natural behaviors like foraging and climbing directly from their parents," she said.
The birth occurred during the peak monsoon season, a dangerous time for red pandas. Heavy rain forces mothers to move cubs between nests, which can lead to illness or injury. "The main difficulty stems from the timing of their birth during the peak monsoon season," Dr. Lachungpa added. Keepers kept visitor noise down and ensured dry nesting spots were available to keep the family safe.
This breeding effort is part of a larger plan under the Central Zoo Authority’s Endangered Species Breeding Programmes. The zoo aims to build a genetically viable founder stock for the future. They have even proposed a new, dedicated Red Panda Conservation Breeding Centre outside the main park. Staff maintain hygiene and monitor health from a distance, focusing on creating conditions where natural processes thrive. As the state animal of Sikkim, the red panda serves as a key symbol of the region's high-altitude biodiversity. Nuba and Numa represent a growing hope for the species.
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