The Secret's Out! Birth of Endangered Red Panda Cub Twins Revealed

We are excited to announce the birth of red panda cub twins – a milestone moment, for a species listed as endangered.

Keepers suspected that there may be more than one cute surprise after noticing how ‘round’ Mei Lin was during her pregnancy.

Then on the morning of 16 June 2025, keepers started to hear some squeaks coming from one of the nest boxes.

A few days later, Mei Lin was seen moving a cub to a different nest box and keepers were overjoyed, when she went back to then collect a second cub.

The twin cubs are a first for us in our history and only the second time mum, five-year-old Mei Lin, has given birth, exactly two years to the day of her first cub in 2023.

Head Keeper of the Discovery Trail, Amy Sewell, said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome two red panda cubs to West Midlands Safari Park. These births are incredibly special, not just for our team, who have been eagerly anticipating their arrival, but also for the wider conservation effort of this endangered species. It is thought that the wild population is less than 10,000 individuals. Every successful birth helps to secure a future for red pandas, whose numbers in the wild continue to decline.

“The cubs are in the nest boxes, under the care of their mother, Mei Lin, with little disturbance from the keepers. Although it is still early days, we look forward to sharing their journey with our visitors as they grow.”

For the next few weeks, keepers will continue to monitor the cubs and Mei Lin from a safe distance, allowing her the time she needs to adapt to becoming a mum of two.

The secret of the birth has been a difficult one to keep, as some guests in the Red Panda Cottages have been lucky enough to catch glimpses of the cubs, whilst Mei Lin has been moving them.

One of the first guests to spot a glimpse of the cubs was Mari Mascarenhas, a GP from Perth, Western Australia, on holiday with her partner Ty and daughter Alice, visiting family in the UK. 

Mari, who booked the trip for 10-year-old daughter Alice, who absolutely adores red pandas, said, “We planned this trip with the hope of giving Alice a chance to see them up close, and we were beyond thrilled with the experience. Not only did we get to see the red pandas, but we also caught the first glimpses of the new cubs, which was truly magical. It was such a rare moment and one that made our entire trip unforgettable. We feel so grateful for this memorable experience.”

Mei Lin arrived at the Park in August 2021 and was joined by male, Sanka, in March 2022, as part of an EEP (Eaza Ex-Situ Programme), which is a collaboration between European zoos to conserve endangered species.

Red pandas are sadly listed as ‘endangered’ by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), due to threats such as the loss, degradation and fragmentation of their habitat, caused by human activities.

Reports of poaching and hunting are also on the rise as well as smuggling live red pandas for the illegal wildlife trade.

We support the Red Panda Network (RPN) which is committed to the conservation of wild red pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities.

As part of this commitment, we sponsor a forest guardian, who helps monitor and protect wild red pandas and their habitats.

Keepers will not know the sex of the cubs until they are around 16 weeks old and start to venture out of the nest boxes on their own.

It is at this point that keepers will choose names for the cubs, starting with ‘N’, as all animals born at the Park this year will have names beginning with this letter.

The twin red panda cubs continue an extraordinary baby boom at the Park, following the birth of tiger cub triplets, an Indian rhino calf, lion cub triplets, barasingha fawn and blesbok calves – all born this year.

Red pandas spend the first few months of their lives growing in their dens with their mother; therefore, it is unlikely that guests will see the cubs out and about regularly until they are about four months old.

Guests can see dad to the cubs, Sanka, at Red Panda Retreat, located in the Safari Walk area of the Park, which is included in the admission price.