In adorable footage from wildlife in West Bengal that was shared on Twitter, rebranded as X, we could see newly born cubs of red pandas and snow leopards involved in a healthy cuddle and play. Two different clips (combined in one video) of the young ones being monitored surfaced online to win the hearts of netizens and make them say "Aww, so cute!" WATCH VIDEO
Double joy for West Bengal
Calling it a moment to cheer and celebrate for "double joy," news reports informed about the good news of two red pandas from the state giving birth to two cute cubs each and a snow leopard welcoming a little one earlier this year.
Director of Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling told the media that at the age of 13 years and three months, the snow leopard named Zima is the oldest to give birth in the last three decades of the snow leopard conservation breeding programme at Darjeeling Zoo.
Meanwhile, it was in December 2022 that three red pandas from the zoo were released in the Singhalila Nation Park for mating. It is learned that Teesta and Nira, 3-year-old mothers, gave birth to the little ones in April 2023.
Forest Minister reacts
Minister for Department of Forest Affairs Jyotipriya Mallick was quoted in reports as saying, "The birth of zoo-bred red pandas in the wild heralds the success of the zoo’s breeding programme to augment the red panda population in the wild. On the other hand, the rare and endangered snow leopard has also given birth to a cub. It is a day of great joy."
Red pandas & snow leopard population
According to WWF, red pandas have lesser than 10,000 individuals left on the planet. Thus, they are listed as endangered species by the IUCN. On the other hand, the snow leopard population seems to be dwindling which has resulted in them being shifted to 'vulnerable' from the earlier 'endangered species' category.
