The first panda to be born in Europe in more than a quarter of a century has finally greeted his adoring public.

Conceived naturally, the birth of Fu Long - who is now five months old - was hailed by keepers as a minor miracle.

His name means Lucky Dragon in Mandarin - and visitors to Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo indeed felt fortunate to be there for his first outing on Wednesday.

Having been too shy to venture out until now, the little cub seemed to lap up the limelight, playing with his mother Yang Yang in their enclosure to the delight of the crowd.

After a few minutes though, she nudged him back inside.

"They like to sit next to each other, to eat next each other, to play with each other and they are a very special pair of pandas," said zookeeper Eveline Dumgl.

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