DierenPark Amersfoort has been pleasantly surprised by the birth of two red pandas, the first in the zoo’s history.

‘We have had a red panda couple for a few years now. But births are pretty rare and we were very happy to find two cubs in the compound. It’s too early to tell what sex they are, we will have to wait a few more weeks for that,’ zoo worker Mirthe Wesbonk said.

Red pandas, an endangered species, live on the slopes of the Himalayas in Asia. Their habitat is threatened by logging and poaching which has reduced their number in the wild to around 10,000.

Red pandas are also the victim of their own cuteness – with their red fluffy fur they are often caught and kept as pets.

The DierenPark Amersfoort Wildlife Fund supports the Red Panda Network which is training locals to keep the animals safe. ‘It’s not doing too well in the wild, and that is why we are very pleased to we welcome our red panda twin here,’ Wesbonk said.