An endangered red panda cub which was born at Longleat earlier this week has been welcomed with open arms.

Keepers at the safari park were overjoyed when the male cub, which was named Turner, arrived on Wednesday August 23.

Parents Rufina and Ajendra are considered critically important to the ongoing success of breeding programmes for red pandas worldwide.

Keeper Samantha Allworthy said: "At first we thought Rufina could be having twins again as she was so heavy, however it turned out to be one very large, healthy baby.

"They are both such fantastic parents that we pretty much leave them to it and try to interfere as little as possible.

"We have been able to weigh Turner and confirm that he is a little boy and he is doing really well."

Like their famous namesakes the giant pandas, red pandas are increasingly endangered in the wild, and the species was officially designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2008 when the global population was estimated at about 10,000 individuals.

Found in Nepal, Bhutan and China, they live among bamboo forests and spend much of their time in trees.

In the wild red pandas are solitary animals, and they only really ever come together to breed.

As well as plain bamboo, keepers supplement their diet with a mix of fruits, eggs and the occasional insects. They also make a special type of bamboo cake which the pandas are especially fond of.