LOVE was in the air for two lucky pandas at Longleat Safari Park after the keepers built a love nest especially for Valentine's Day.

The pair of red pandas were treated to their own love nest, building up the romance on the run up to Valentine’s Day on Tuesday (February 14). Last year, male panda Ajendra, which means king of the mountain, and female Rufina, surprised the keepers at the safari park in Warminster by giving birth to a pair of red panda twins.

Samantha Allworthy, keeper at Longleat, said: “Last year’s twins were only the second time the pair have bred here at Longleat and, as they have proved to be such attentive parents, it would be amazing if we were able to look forward to the patter of tiny paws later this year.

“We created a heart-shaped love nest, complete with red roses and their favourite red grapes in their enclosure and we’re hoping it will do the trick.”

The red panda have recently been re-classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), so the arrival of the panda twins gave Longleat reason to celebrate. Parents Ajendra and Rufina are both members of the European Endangered Species Programme for the red panda due to their diverse genetics.

The species are usually found in the wild in Nepal, Bhutan and China and live on a diet of bamboo. Keepers at Longleat ensure to supplement their diet with a mix of fruit, eggs and insects as well as bamboo.