Highland Wildlife Park has welcomed a new red panda to the Cairngorms, with one year old Flyn already making himself at home among the trees.

The young male has travelled from Zoo Neuwied in Germany to join three year old female Priya in the new red panda habitat at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland park.

Visitors are already getting glimpses of Flyn’s personality as he explores his new surroundings and climbs high into the trees.

Keepers are also hopeful that Flyn and Priya could eventually become a breeding pair and produce cubs in the future.

Their new home has been built on a wooded hillside and designed around the natural behaviour and needs of red pandas.

Tall trees and additional climbing structures give the pair plenty of opportunities to explore above ground, while their hillside home comes with expansive views across the Cairngorms.

The Highland climate should also make Flyn feel reasonably at home despite his journey from Germany.

Red pandas are naturally adapted to the cool, temperate forests of the Himalayas, with their thick fur helping protect them from cold conditions.

Their distinctive bushy tails provide additional insulation and can be wrapped around their bodies for warmth.

That makes the cooler conditions of the Cairngorms particularly well suited to the species.

Flyn’s arrival means visitors can now see both red pandas exploring the new habitat as the young male becomes accustomed to his surroundings and to Priya.

The pair are part of the wildlife conservation work carried out by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which operates both Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo.

For now, there is no guarantee that the new partnership will eventually result in the patter of tiny red panda paws.

But with Flyn already heading for the treetops and settling into his new Highland home, keepers will be watching closely as the relationship between the pair develops.

And if everything goes according to plan, Priya and Flyn may eventually add another generation to Highland Wildlife Park’s red panda family.

Visitors can meet the panda pair by booking Red Panda Magic Moments at the park: https://shop.rzss.org.uk/products/red-panda-magic-moment-ages-8