ONE of Colchester Zoo’s favourite and “feisty” animals has finally found love… more than 300 miles away.
In August last year, zookeepers in Colchester sent Lena the Amur leopard off to Devon’s Dartmoor Zoo in search of romance and motherhood.
She was chosen as a suitable breeding mate for Freddo, a male Amur leopard who arrived at Dartmoor Zoo in November 2023 from Belgium.
With fewer than 100 Amur leopards left in the wild, they are considered the rarest cat in the world and are a critically endangered species.
After Lena’s made the journey from the east of England to the west, it was hoped cubs would soon be on the way – but not before the “dangerous business” of introducing the two big cats.
Madeleine Millin, Dartmoor Zoo’s animal manager, said: “Mixing big cats can be a dangerous business, and not to be rushed.
“Both cats demonstrated positive behaviours towards one another and over time their relationship remained steady.
“Our main challenge was working with Lena herself.”
A Colchester Zoo spokesman described Lena as “feisty, a little stubborn, inquisitive, with a big personality and a lot of character”.
However, as she is also “extremely wary of people”, the team at Dartmoor Zoo took a lot of time, effort and patience to build up trust with her.
After months of preparation including fence line encounters and habitat swaps, the team sectioned the pair off from the rest of the zoo to provide them with some privacy for their introduction last Tuesday.
“Once we were confident it was time to introduce them, we had to make sure that the weather was calm with no strong winds, and we had our safety measures in place,” Ms Millin said.
“Their first encounter was brief with a little vocalisation and Lena rolling over to submit, resulting in Freddo walking away, which is exactly what we wanted to see.
“They then spent the day watching and sitting near to each other.
“Overall, it went extremely well, and we were very proud and pleased with their introduction.
“We are excited for their future and look forward to seeing their relationship blossom.”
The keeper team remained close by to witness first interactions and after initial welfare checks, both Lena and Freddo have been adjusting to each other well.
David Gibson, Dartmoor Zoo’s CEO, said: “Physically introducing Freddo and Lena, our two Amur leopards, is the culmination of years of work for the team here at Dartmoor Zoo.
“We are very hopeful that now the pair have been physically introduced, we will be welcoming a litter of cubs in the near future.”
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