THE new year has brought with it some adorable new arrivals at an Oxfordshire animal park.

Staff at Cotswold Wildlife Park, near Burford, have been thrilled to welcome four new naked mole rats, a binturong, also known as a bearcat, and four gundi over the festive period.

The gundi - small, stocky African rodents - are a rare treat for visitors. Coming from Poznan Zoo in Poland, the group at the park, now 17 in total, are the only gundi on display in the country.

Two were born in mid-December, with the other two arriving last week.

Gundi are also known as comb rats, due to the stiff hair on their back feet used to comb sand out of their fur.

Relief keeper and member of the primate team, Katie Wildman, who lives on the site, said the gundi were a favourite among park visitors.

She said: “They’re adorable little things and they’ve definitely got the cute factor. You can always hear people ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ when they see them.

“They’re very sweet.”

Other new arrivals include a group of naked mole rats. The longest living rodent, naked mole rats can have a lifespan of up to 30 years and have an immunity to cancer.

Chris Kibbey, head of primates, said: "Since recently moving our colony of naked mole rats to their new exhibit at Little Africa, we are delighted that they have produced their first surviving litter. Four kidney bean sized babies were born and initially kept safe in the main nest chamber by the rest of the group.

"After this time they start exploring their tunnels, looking for food – their favourite being sweet potato."

Joining the other newcomers is a male binturong, an animal native to South and Southeast Asia.

The Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens exhibits more than 260 different species of animals and is the largest privately owned zoological collection in the UK.