Five baby wild boar piglets have been described as a “welcome new arrival” to Whipsnade Zoo while the centre is closed to the public.

The zoo in Bedfordshire welcomed the litter of piglets over the Easter weekend to mother Wilma and father Otis.

“The piglets are a really welcome new arrival to Whipsnade and a nice boost for us keepers who are still working hard while the zoos are closed to the public,” said zookeeper Gracie Gee.

Ms Gee said: “Wilma has taken motherhood in her stride, but dad Otis seems a bit more overwhelmed by the arrival of five little ones.

“His plans for a relaxing bank holiday weekend went straight out of the window.

“We’re excited to see them develop. Currently weighing just 1kg, they’ve got a lot of growing to do, a fully grown adult male can weigh up to 100kg.”