Devon zoo announces arrival of red panda cubs

One keeper at the zoo described the arrival as a "special birth"

Two red panda cubs have been born in Devon, says Exmoor Zoo.

The animal attraction said the female twins were born on 8 June but were not seen for about eight weeks.

A spokesperson said their parents, Shifumi and Pan, were former residents of Bristol Zoo and relocated after it announced its closure.

"As zoo keepers, one of the most wonderful things that can happen is to be involved with a special birth and help care for the babies as they grow," the zoo said.

'A complete surprise'

It added: "Not every animal in a zoo can or should be bred.

"When you have the opportunity to achieve a really positive scenario for a species that requires breeding for the captive population, it can make years of work leading up to this worthwhile."

The keepers had observed the new couple sneak off from view during "panda breeding" time in March.

But, despite the subtle behaviour, keepers were still left surprised by the new additions.

One keeper said: "To be fair, it was a complete surprise. We all had to keep quiet about in case they did not survive.

"Last year, Shifumi went through a phantom pregnancy and this was what we all expected was happening - until we heard the tiny squeaks of babies in [the] maternal den."

A spokesperson for Exmoor Zoo confirmed the cubs would be kept at the zoo with their parents.

But they added that their presence would only be "tolerated for so long [by their parents], as, in the wild, they would be persuaded to go and find their own territory".