Red Pandas Need Names!

First the zebras, now a flurry of news about baby red pandas – what is Philadelphia reporting coming to? One thing is for sure – if you like looking at cute animal memes on the internet, this one is for you.

The baby pandas at the Philadelphia Zoo might not have names yet, but they are awfully cute.

A pair of red panda cubs were born June 26th at the Philadelphia Zoo. Visitors got their first peek at the cubs yesterday. One is a boy and one is a girl. They were born to parents Basil (dad) and Spark (mom). The birth was considered important since red pandas, which are also called firefoxes, are considered vulnerable in the wild. The pair haven’t been named yet, however. That’s where the public comes in. The zoo is requesting that you send in suggestions for panda names, either by logging on to the zoo’s Facebook page or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Suggestions are being collected until Sunday at midnight, and voting will begin Monday at noon.

Unlike giant pandas, red pandas aren’t members of the bear family. They are slightly larger than housecats and look closest to raccoons. They are native to Asia, specifically north China and Tibet. The cold climate in those regions explains why the pandas have such fluffy coats.

Donna Evernham, Curator of Carnivores and Ungulates at the zoo, said that visitors this winter will surely get a peek at the pandas. In addition to Basil, Spark, and the babies, the zoo is also home to red pandas Mei Lin, an older female, and JJ, another older female who was born in Japan. Mei Lin and JJ look slightly different from the others because they are a different subspecies.

The zoo says anyone who makes a donation to “adopt” the red pandas by the end of the year will receive a red panda plushie in thanks.