Welsh zoo welcomes rare red panda cubs

It's 'panda-monium' at one zoo in Wales following three new furry arrivals.

Three red panda cubs have just been born at Manor House Wildlife Park in the south-west of the country.

They were born to red panda mum, Betty, and dad, Barney. The zoo matched mum and dad together as part of a conservation effort across Europe to help endangered animals - called the European Endangered Species Programme.

Red pandas are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

Numbers of the animal are continuing to decrease because of deforestation (trees being cut down), hunting, and diseases that can spread from pet dogs and cats.

Right now, the red panda cubs are just over six weeks old and they're starting to get the same bold, striped markings as their parents. But we still don't know if they're boys or girls because they're too little to be disturbed and checked.

Head zoo keeper, Kim Wilkins said the team at the zoo are "keeping a watchful eye over mum and cubs, and all are doing very well.

"They are still being fed milk from mum and will do for the next few weeks and then Betty will reduce the amount of trips to the cubs, encouraging them to come out of the nest and start eating solid food."

Are red pandas smaller versions of giant pandas?

According to the WWF, red pandas aren't closely related to giant pandas at all. Red pandas belong to their own special family group called ailuridae, and they're more like raccoons, weasels and skunks.

Giant pandas, on the other hand, are actually part of the bear family, called ursidae. So even though they both have "panda" in their names, they're not even cousins.