Twin Baby Red Pandas Join the Roger Williams Park Zoo Family

Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo

In the best news you’ll (probably) hear all week, Roger Williams Park Zoo recently announced the addition of not one, but two red little bundles of joy to the zoo family. They even came with a bang: first-time parents Zan and Kendji welcomed their twin — one boy and one girl— red panda kits on July 4. The kits have been named after the iconic brother–sister duo from Avatar: The Last Airbender: Katara and Sokka.

Their arrival marks the first successful birth of red pandas in the Zoo’s history, and has also been hailed a “tremendous win for global conservation efforts.” With fewer than 10,000 red pandas currently in the wild, they are classified as an endangered species. Every new birth is a step towards preserving red pandas’ future. Kendji, Zan and the twins are part of a Species Survival Plan, which “ensures the continued existence of at-risk wildlife by safeguarding their genetic diversity,” according to the Zoo.

And the babies are thriving! During their first weigh-in on July 12, the cubs came in at just under 200 grams, or just shy of half a pound, each. The zoo says Katara and Sokka are already showing off big personalities. They are currently enjoying snuggling up with Zan —  who is taking her new role as a dedicated mother in stride — behind the scenes and will remain out of sight for a few weeks to ensure prime care and bonding time. Lucky for them, a new, state-of-the-art enclosure with ample space for frolicking will be waiting for them when they’re ready to emerge. And lucky for us, the Zoo promises to regularly share plenty of adorable photo and video updates on its socials in the meantime. So stay tuned! rwpzoo.org