Seoul Grand Park to unveil twin baby red pandas

Maru and Marong, twin red pandas born at Seoul Grand Park in the first successful breeding of the species in Korea, will make their public debut on Oct. 14.

The park said Wednesday that the cubs, born on June 19, have grown healthily and recently begun exploring outside their den. It decided to introduce them to the public earlier than originally planned.

The twins are the first red pandas to be born through successful breeding in Korea. Their mother, Rian, arrived from Tama Zoological Park in Japan in 2023, while their father, Ravi, came from the Calgary Zoo in Canada the same year.

The cubs were named through a public contest on social media. The female was named Marong and the male Maru. Marong’s name evokes a chestnut that is full and abundant, symbolizing the hope that she will grow into a bright-natured animal that embraces the world with warmth and generosity. Maru’s name expresses the wish that he will be a precious and outstanding presence who brings comfort and love to many people.

The cubs are learning various behaviors by following Rian, including walking, climbing trees and climbing down. They have also begun venturing into their outdoor enclosure occasionally as they adjust to the new environment.

However, as red pandas are nocturnal animals, they may be less active during the day, meaning visitors are not guaranteed to see the twins. They are believed to be most active early in the morning and after 4 p.m.

Seoul Grand Park plans to closely monitor the cubs’ health and behavioral changes and gradually expand public access as they become more comfortable in their new surroundings.

Yeo Yong-gu, director of Seoul Zoo, said the zoo plans to allow the red pandas to move freely between indoor and outdoor areas to help manage their health, as the animals are sensitive to noise.

“Please observe proper viewing etiquette, as tapping on viewing windows, making loud noises and getting too close can cause stress to the red pandas,” Yeo said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.