Endangered red panda arrives at zoo

Hertfordshire Zoo has welcomed Nila, a young female red panda, as part of an international breeding programme

Hertfordshire Zoo has welcomed a young female red panda as part of a breeding programme to try to boost numbers of the endangered species.

Nila, who is 17 months old, was born in Slovakia and has been brought to the UK to be paired with the zoo's resident male, Ash.

There are fewer than 10,000 red pandas left in the wild as they are threatened with rapid habitat loss from deforestation in the eastern Himalayas, and the poaching trade.

The zoo successfully bred a cub in 2022 with a different pair of red pandas.

Nila the red panda is said to be confidently exploring her new enclosure

In the wild, red pandas are often poached for their distinctive fur and forced into the illegal pet trade.

Their habitat, in the dense temperate forests of Asia, is being lost to logging and agricultural expansion.

Nila has arrived under the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex-situ programme, a population management initiative focused on securing a sustainable future for species facing extinction.

The hope is that Nila and Ash will form a successful breeding pair.

Nila is named after a conservationist in Nepal who planted forests to restore panda habitats

"Nila has settled in very well, already exploring her new enclosure with confidence and showing great curiosity toward her keepers," said James Cork, head keeper at Hertfordshire Zoo.

She has been named to honour a notable conservationist in Nepal who worked with the Red Panda Network to plant forests to restore their habitat.

Hertfordshire Zoo says the new arrival is an "intelligent and inquisitive individual".

"We are excited to watch as she and Ash bond over the coming weeks," a statement said.

"Their success will be a direct win for global conservation efforts."