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Greater Vancouver Zoo launches contest to name adorable twin red panda cubs

Want to name the two cuties?
red-panda-cubs
A pair of red pandas born at the Greater Vancouver Zoo last year are awaiting names.

Two red panda cubs born at the Greater Vancouver Zoo still don't have names.

To help with that the zoo is turning to the public.

People have until March 26th to submit names for the pair, who were born on June 14, 2022, to Sakura and her partner Arun.

"There are two red panda twins that need names! One boy and one girl," says the zoo on their site. "As they are the only two Red Panda Cubs born in B.C. (so far!), we are hoping to keep that in mind with respect to their naming."

The pair were born as part of a species survival plan, an international effort to save species at risk (in this case red, or lesser, pandas).

The small mammal (which is actually more closely related to skunks and raccoons than panda bears) is endangered in the wild; its natural habitat is in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and other nearby countries. It's believed there are fewer than 10,000 in the wild.

The pair will live for at least a year from birth at the Greater Vancouver Zoo; after that, they may be moved to another zoo as part of the plan's conservation efforts.

The names and winners of the zoo's contest will be announced on April 7. The winners will get a prize pack which includes a 'meet and greet with the entire red panda family.'