London - Two rare red pandas have been born at a British zoo.
The twins, a male and a female, are the first to be bred at Drusillas Park in Alfriston, East Sussex.
Head keeper Mark Kenward found them during his early morning rounds. He said: “I was immediately met by Tibao, our male panda. Unable to see our female, Mulan, I called to her. She appeared from one of the nest boxes carrying a baby gently in her mouth.
“She brought the cub over, as if to show me, before returning to the box. I can’t explain how happy I was.”
At nearly a month old, the tiny pandas, pictured with their mother, are gaining between seven and 20g a day and have just started to open their eyes.
The creatures normally inhabit the Himalayan mountains where threats to their habitat and hunting have reduced their numbers to around 10 000. - Daily Mail