A nine-year-old Amur leopard, which is known as “the world’s rarest big cat”, has arrived at Dartmoor Zoo, where he will be part of a breeding programme aimed at reintroducing the endangered species into its native Siberia. There are only 140 Amur leopards in the wild and 300 in European zoos, according to the Dartmoor Zoological Society. The leopard named Freddo was raised in the wild before spending time in captivity. Benjamin Mee, CEO at the Dartmoor Zoological Society, registered the leopard on an “animal dating site” to help find him a mate.
The zoo said Freddo’s new home has been made secure around his climbing and jumping abilities, as he is adept at leaping between trees and scaling walls. The enclosure features cherry trees and Siberian larches, while his diet will include rabbits and Dartmoor ponies. As part of the conservation programme, the zoo is raising funds to create a separate enclosure for a female leopard, which is deemed “monumentally expensive.”
“All my efforts in the next few years will be finding a female and seeing if the offspring can be put back into the wild,” Mee said. “This is the world’s rarest big cat, which is why the re-introduction is so important.” The leopard has joined the zoo’s big cat collection, alongside lions, tigers, a jaguar and a lynx. Freddo’s enclosure will be open for public viewing from 26 November
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