Keepers at Wingham Wildlife Park discovered a very cute surprise when they found two red panda babies.

Mai Xlang, who has been at the park since October 2012, surprised her keepers on Friday, June 19, with two little babies in her nest box.

The red panda had kept her pregnancy hidden and keepers believed she did not want to mate.

Tony Biskin, the owner of Wingham Wildlife Park said: "This was a great surprise for us and they have caused a huge stir of excitement amongst our keepers – and management as well for that matter.

"This is the first time we have had red panda babies here and whilst it is still early days they both look really healthy.”

Breeding of the species is quite closely controlled to ensure that there are enough homes available for all of the babies produced. This scheme is known as a studbook.

Jasper, a red panda from Dudley Zoo was brought in to mate with Mai Xlang but keepers thought it had failed.

Mr Biskin said: “The two of them never showed any signs that they even got on with one another that well to be honest and we are all very surprised that she allowed him to mate with her and whilst we had not planned on breeding this species this year it goes to show that in the natural world timing is not always as you expect.

“Even though these two cuties were unplanned they are certainly not going to be unwanted and are already becoming firm favorites amongst their keepers.”

With red pandas, the females care for the young but males are usually quite tolerant and whole families can be kept together until babies become sexually active.

Markus Wilder, parks animal collections curator, said: “Jasper who fathered the babies recently moved to Banham Zoo where he was swapped as part of the studbook for one of their males who is called Raymundo. Even though the babies aren’t his he is still remaining tolerant of their existence in the enclosure and has made no attempt to even go near them – which is lucky as we may otherwise have had to send them to see Jeremy Kyle!”

The babies will remain at Wingham Wildlife Park until they are old enough to be removed from their parents. It will then be the job of the studbook keeper to decide whether they are needed at another zoo to help strengthen the gene pool for red pandas in European zoos.