Red panda twins born in zoo breeding programme

A zoo has announced the birth of red panda twins after introducing the parents in 2024.

The cubs were delivered at Amazon World, Isle of Wight, on 17 June.

Their mother Xiao, 10, was paired with 10-month-old male Flint after he was imported from Belfast Zoo with a view to breeding "in the next couple of years", the zoo previously said.

The species, which lives in the eastern Himalayas and China, is endangered and on the decline, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In a Facebook post, the zoo, near Arreton, said it was "over the moon" at its success.

It added: "The cubs are still young and there is always a risk but Xiao has done such a fantastic job so far.

"The cubs will remain hidden in the nest boxes until at least three months old.

"Senior staff have been and will continue to monitor the enclosure, nest boxes and cubs via CCTV installed to make sure all is well."

Red pandas are poached for fur, get caught in hunters' wild pig and deer traps and are also under threat from forest clearance, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.