Friday, October 9, 2026

“Come see the twin red pandas”... Seoul Grand Park unveils Maru and Marong

Input
2026-10-09 15:19:49
Updated
2026-10-09 15:19:49
Twin red pandas Maru and Marong, born at Seoul Grand Park. Provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government

[Financial News]  Twin red pandas Maru and Marong, born at Seoul Grand Park, will meet visitors for the first time. This is the first successful red panda breeding in Korea. Seoul Grand Park announced on the 9th that it will open the twin red pandas to the public starting on the 14th. Marong, a female, and Maru, a male, were born on June 19 and recently each weighed more than 1 kg. They are active indoors and outdoors, following their mother, Lian.
The twins’ parents came to Seoul through international cooperation on the conservation and breeding of endangered species. Their father, Ravi, was transferred from the Calgary Zoo in Canada, and their mother, Lian, from Tama Zoo in Japan; both came to Seoul Grand Park in 2023. Their names, Maru and Marong, were chosen through a public naming contest.
The twin red pandas have recently been practicing walking and climbing up and down trees, and are gradually venturing into their outdoor enclosure. To help them move around safely, zookeepers laid pine chips on the indoor floor and built play structures at different heights.
Seoul Grand Park cautioned, however, that visitors who come during the day may not see the twins. Red pandas are nocturnal and are less active during the day, moving around relatively more during the early morning or after 4 p.m. The park plans to gradually expand public viewing depending on the twins’ health and how well they are adapting.
Yeo Yong-gu, director of Seoul Zoo, said, “To care for the health of red pandas, which are sensitive to noise, we plan to let them move freely between indoor and outdoor enclosures. We will continue our efforts to conserve and breed not only red panda cubs but also other endangered animals.”

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