Red panda Lavi rests with her newborn twin cubs. (Seoul Metropolitan Government) Twin red panda cubs have been born at Seoul Grand Park in South Korea’s first successful natural breeding of the endangered species, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday.The cubs were born on June 19 to Ravi and Lian and are growing steadily, according to the city government.The birth followed sustained breeding efforts since Lian arrived from Japan in 2023. Natural breeding of red pandas is considered particularly difficult because females are typically receptive to mating for only two or three days each year.To increase the chances of successful breeding, the park created a quiet shelter shielded from outside noise, installed environmental enrichment features to reduce stress and closely managed the animals’ weight.Staff access to the cubs has been restricted, and they are being monitored around the clock through surveillance cameras. They will not be shown to the public until they have completed their vaccinations and reached a stable stage of development.The red panda, also known as the lesser panda, is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Fewer than 10,000 are estimated to remain in the wild because of habitat loss and poaching.“We are delighted to share the news of the birth of endangered red pandas at a time when climate change and biodiversity loss pose growing threats,” Park Jin-soon, director of Seoul Grand Park, said in a statement.“We will provide meticulous care to help the cubs grow healthy while further strengthening the zoo’s role in species conservation and animal welfare.”