When a red panda is born it is blind and helpless and their coats are usually grey in colour before they are weaned

Both cubs weigh just over 800g and are


Red panda twins born at Melbourne Zoo have made a brief appearance in public to nibble on special porridge used to help the cubs transition to their adult diets of bamboo.

Adorable pictures show the shy cubs, Mandu and Keta, perched on the branches of a tree before one makes its way down to be fed by zookeeper Kelly Rainbow.

The cheeky cubs weigh just over 800g each and have just started the weaning process which usually starts within five months of being born.

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Red panda (pictured) twins, Keta and Mandu, that were born at Melbourne Zoo in December last year have started to wean making a brief appearance in public to eat some special food

One of the shy little cubs came down from the tree it had been perched on to nibble some special porridge which is used to help the cubs transition to their adult diets of bamboo (pictured)

Feeding from a small container held by zookeeper Kelly Rainbow these cheeky little cubs weigh just over 800g each and have just started the weaning process which usually starts within five months of being born

Red panda cubs are born blind and helpless and their furry coats are initially grey before they are weaned.

Care for the cubs' health is integral in these early stages and regular check-ups have been monitored by Melbourne Zoo since they were born in December last year.

The boys' names pay homage to their species' natural habitat in the mountains of Nepal, northern Burma and central China. Mandu is short for Kathmandu and Keta is the Nepalese word for 'boy'.

The seven-month-old male cubs have only been handled by keepers a small amount during their time at the zoo to ensure their mother Roshani is given ample time to care for them.

In May the panda cubs made their first appearance and were given vaccinations against feline enteritis and two forms of feline respiratory disease - they were also microchipped at the time.

Zoo carnivore manager Adrian Howard said: 'They are quite secretive little animals and they don't like being handled but this is an important part of managing their health.

Keta and Mandu (pictured) made their first appearance in May and now regularly hide in the tree tops at the Melbourne Zoo. The boys' were named after their habitats in the mountains - Mandu which is short for Kathmandu and Keta which is a Nepalese word for 'boy'

Red pandas like Mandu and Keta (pictured), are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and breeding programs such as the one at Melbourne zoo have been helping with populations which have dropped to 10,000 in the wild

The seven-month-old male cubs (pictured) have only been handled by keepers a small amount during their time at the zoo to ensure their mother Roshani is given ample time to care for them

'We have minimised any disturbance to ensure that we didn't disrupt Roshani from providing her babies with the best possible mothering.'

The red panda is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Although poaching is responsible for some of the population decline, deforestation is the single most significant reason the species is in danger in the wild.

There are an estimates 10,000 remaining in the wild although designated protected areas and captive breeding programs are hoping to increase those numbers.

The red panda is usually found in remote mountainous areas of Nepal, China, India, Bhutan and Burma and have a diet that mostly consists of bamboo as an adult.

When Mandu and Keta grow up they will likely reach lengths of 50 to 65cm and have 30 to 50cm tails. Both are already showing signs of thick reddish pelts commonly seen in a fully grown red panda.

Although poaching is responsible for some of the population decline, deforestation is the single most significant reason the species is in danger in the wild and not all red pandas have the same luxuries that Mandu and Keta receive living in an enclosure (pictured)