Fota Wildlife Park in County Cork has invited the public to submit name suggestions for twin red panda cubs born at the facility earlier this summer as part of an international conservation effort.

The cubs, one male and one female, were born on 14 June to eight-year-old mother Laxmi and eight-year-old father Grga. Laxmi arrived at Fota from Longleat Safari in England in 2019, while Grga joined from Zagreb Zoo in Croatia the same year. The new arrivals represent Grga's fourth set of cubs at the Cork park.

The births mark a success for the Ex-situ Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP) for red pandas. The species (Ailurus fulgens), native to the temperate forests of the Himalayas and southwestern China, is classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Wildlife experts estimate that only between 2,500 and 10,000 mature individuals remain in the wild, primarily due to habitat fragmentation and loss.

According to Fota Wildlife Park lead ranger John Leahy, the three-month-old cubs spent their initial months nursing and resting inside their nest box under Laxmi's care. While the pair currently remain in their enclosure during peak visitor hours, animal care staff have observed them venturing out at dusk after the park closes. Staff expect the cubs to become increasingly visible during the daytime in the coming weeks as they grow more active.

The naming invitation coincides with International Red Panda Day on Saturday, 19 September. Visitors to the park can submit name ideas in a suggestion box located at the Serengeti Shop until 11 October, with selected entrants eligible to win conservation annual passes.