A pair of lovelorn cats are finally feline fine after experts hooked them up on an animal dating site.
Bosses at a Dartmoor Zoo, in Devon, have welcomed a rare female Amur leopard in the hope she will breed with another Amur leopard called Freddo.
Her arrival from Colchester Zoo, in Essex, comes after Freddo was listed on the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), a new platform described as a “dating site for animals”.
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And the pair are now getting to know one another in their very own Love Island hideaway, as reported by What’s The Jam.
“We are chuffed,” Andy Yeoman, of Dartmoor Zoo, said.
“Lena is fantastic and settling in nicely.
“She’s quite grumbly which is a good sign she’s healthy.
“Hopefully love is in the air and they will love each other.
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“We have a separate annexe – like a Love Island hideaway – where Lena can get used to the smell, sight and sound of Freddo.
“But they won’t be able to do any damage if they do feel aggrieved.
“So they will have separate bedrooms so they can get used to each other.
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“Hopefully over time they will ingratiate themselves with each other and be on the same page.”
Mainly found in border areas between Russia, China and North Korea, Amur leopards are considered to be one of the world’s rarest cats, with about 200 in captivity and 100 in the wild, Dartmoor Zoo said.
Much of their native homeland is under threat from logging, forest fires, agriculture and industrial development.
Lena – who has been described by her Colchester keepers as a “big personality” – is currently in an off-show enclosure at Dartmoor Zoo after arriving from Essex.
She even travelled with a package containing her favourite scents to help her adjust to new surroundings.
Colchester Zoo’s carnivore lead Emma said: “Lena is a feisty female Amur leopard with a big personality and a lot of character.
“She can be a little stubborn at times.
“She’s very inquisitive enjoying all types of enrichment especially spices and perfumes.
“She will be missed by us all on the Carnivore team at Colchester Zoo but I for one can’t wait to visit her at Dartmoor.”
Zookeepers have said they will observe Lena and Freddo’s interactions before embarking on the breeding programme.
The pairing has been in the works since Freddo’s arrival at Dartmoor in November 2023.
Dartmoor Zoo’s CEO David Gibson said: “We are delighted to be able to play our part in the continued conservation of this iconic and charismatic species.”
Dartmoor Zoo senior keeper Ashley Matthews said the site has recently had a successful lynx introduction, resulting in two kits being born this May.
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