Red panda cubs emerge outside at Longleat in Wiltshire

A rare pair of red panda twins have made their first public appearance at Longleat.

The 10-week-old cubs were born earlier in the summer but are only now beginning to venture outside.

The pair are the first to have been born to new parents Emma and Lionel as part of a successful breeding programme for the endangered species at the Wiltshire attraction.

"Both cubs are doing really well," said keeper Sam Allworthy.

"Emma is a great mum and she has been looking after them fantastically.

"Although we have yet to name them, we have been able to do their first health checks and can confirm they're both females."

These are the seventh and eighth red pandas to have been born at Longleat.

Previous cubs have gone on to collections all over Europe and have even had cubs of their own.

Red pandas are increasingly under threat due to habitat loss, deforestation and poaching. It is thought there may be as few as 2,500 living in the wild.

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