The arboreal acrobatics of a sextet of sea lion pups are amusing visitors at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.

The unusual behaviour was spotted by keeper Mark Tye while feeding the parents on the park's sea lion beach.

"The game started with the pups just climbing on the tree but it did not take them long to get braver," he said.

"In the end they were taking it in turns to climb along the tree and dive off the end." No one has yet suggested why the pups have taken to climbing.

"Sea lion pups are always very playful, but to see them diving off what must be a three metre drop and then happily climbing back up and doing it again, has been quite an eye opener," said Mr Tye.

Longleat's sea lions were first introduced to the Half Mile Lake in the 1970's and share their home with a pair of hippos called Spot and Sonia.

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Source: BBC News