Twin red pandas born at Longleat

The pair of cubs were born earlier in the summer. Now at 10 weeks old they are starting to brave the outside world to the joy of Longleat visitors. 

New parents Emma and Lionel are a part of a successful breeding programme for the endagered species at the Wiltshire wildlife attraction with the twins being their first born. 

Emma, the twins mother, arrived in Longleat earlier this year but is proving to be a natural at parenting, becoming an exceptional mum to the cubs. 

"Both cubs are doing really well, Emma is a great mum and she has been looking after them fantastically", said Keeper Sam Allworthy. 

Longleat (Image: Longleat)

"Although we have yet to name them, we have been able to do their first health checks and can confirm they're both females" 

"These are the seventh and eighth red pandas to have been born here at Longleat. Previous cubs have gone on to collections all over Europe and have even had cubs of their own" she added. 

Red pandas are increasingly under threat with as few as 2,500 living in the world through poaching and due to losing their homes to deforestation.

Found in Nepal, Bhutan and China, they live among bamboo forests and spend much of their time in trees.

In the wild red pandas are solitary animals, only coming together to breed.

Like giant pandas about two-thirds of their food intake is made up of bamboo. As it is relatively low in calories, red pandas tend to spend much of their time either eating or sleeping.

As well as plain bamboo, keepers supplement their diet with a mix of fruits, eggs and the occasional insects. They also make a special type of bamboo cake which the pandas are especially fond of.

In addition to being part of the European Endangered Species Programme for the Red Panda, Longleat is also helping to fund habitat restoration and replanting programmes in Nepal.