Paradise Wildlife Park says endangered red panda cub is a symbol of hope

The red panda cub, called Little Red, was born at Paradise Wildlife Park on 16 July

An endangered red panda cub born at a zoo has been hailed "a symbol of hope" by the park's manager.

Little Red was born to mother Tilly at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, on 16 July.

Father Nam Pang died about a month before the cub's birth, and while both parents were part of an international breeding programme for four years, this was the first time they had conceived.

Red pandas are classed as endangered due to hunting and habitat loss.

They are typically found in mountainous forests in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.

The cub's mother, Tilly, began to nest two weeks after Nam Pang's death

Paradise Wildlife Park is part of the European Ex-Situ Breeding Programme, which aims to create a safety net for endangered species in the wild.

Aaron Whitnall, operations co-ordinator at the zoo, said Little Red had become "a symbol of hope after the tragic passing of Nam Pang".

"For his memory and legacy to live on is more than we ever expected," he said.

Nam Pang died in June from Addison's disease.

"The birth of Little Red creates a beautiful ending for a tragic, heartbreaking story that shocked the community in the month of June," Mr Whitnall said.

Nam Pang, the father of Little Red, died a month before the cub was born

Keepers have not yet been able to establish the sex of Little Red, but hope to do so when the cub is about six months old.

Red pandas have been classed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, with fewer than 2,500 remaining in the wild.