A veteran British wildlife photographer says he has captured one of his top five wildlife moments ever - two very young tiger cubs swimming.

Paul Goldstein was amazed to see a mother big cat lounging in water, before leading her two youngsters across a river in India's Bandhavgarh National Park.

The Wimbledon-based guide believes cubs taking to the water this young has never been recorded.

He says: "I didn't even know they could swim, they are only two months old, the youngest I have ever seen."

According to Goldstein, the tigress could have easily walked her cubs around the lake but instead chose to give them swimming lessons, which he calls "a remarkable display of motherhood"."

His driver-guide colleague Pappu added: "I have guided in Bandhavgarh National Park for 35 years and have never seen this."

Paul says: "My guests were literally having kittens and even Pappu and forest guard Manjit were misty eyed."

"I have never ever known of this and haven't seen anything like it online."

Paul has run 25 marathons in his now fabled tiger suit for Bengal tiger conservation.