Red panda baby born at Banham Zoo

Banham Zoo announced their latest addition to the zoo yesterday.

The male red panda cub, who is yet to be named, was born in late July.

Parents Jasper and Maggie have been together since 2016 and nurtured a female cub in 2016.

In European zoos pandas usually mate in early spring and will give birth to usually one or two cubs after four months.

As red panda cubs usually spend the first two to three months inside their nesting box, the cub has only just started to explore its surroundings.

Red pandas are listed as endangered and numbers in the wild are believed to have decreased by half in less than 20 years.

Their wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 due to massive habitat loss and an increase in human poaching for their meat and red fur.

Animal manager, Mike Woolham said: "We are delighted with our latest addition. The conservation of the animals in our care is of paramount importance to us and we hope that our latest arrival may throw the spotlight on the plight of this species and others under severe threat in South-East Asia."

The cub will remain with his parents at the zoo for at least a year.

Once he reaches maturity the European and International Studbook Coordinator for the species will recommend transferring him to another zoo, where he will most likely join a female to make up a new pair.