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Red panda babies debut at Philadelphia Zoo; names sought

November 18, 2015
Red panda cubs, born in June, make their public debut at the Philadelphia Zoo, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, in Philadelphia. At left is the female and the male cub is on the right. The cubs have not been named and the zoo wants the public to suggest names. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Red panda cubs, born in June, make their public debut at the Philadelphia Zoo, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, in Philadelphia. At left is the female and the male cub is on the right. The cubs have not been named and the zoo wants the public to suggest names. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two baby red pandas have made their debut at the Philadelphia Zoo.

The public got its first look at the brother and sister cubs on Wednesday morning.

Officials at the zoo say the June 26 birth was important for red panda conservation, since the species is considered vulnerable in the wild.

The zoo is asking for help naming the duo, and suggestions can be emailed to pandas@phillyzoo.org or submitted on the zoo’s Facebook page.

Unlike giant pandas, red pandas are not members of the bear family. They are slightly larger than domestic cats and look similar to raccoons. They are native to Asia.