Blind Date for Black Leopards
Drayton Manor Zookeepers are hoping love will blossom when Zilla, the resident female black leopard, is introduced to Zuri, a black leopard from Spain.
Zuri will be allowed into Zilla's enclosure at the zoo, near Tamworth, Staffordshire, and zookeepers are hoping the pair will hit it off.
Joyce Roberts, Zoo Manager, said: “We’re really excited about the arrival of Zuri and we are hoping Zilla will fall for his Spanish charm.
Leopards are a highly endangered species, so we really hope they breed and have lots of cubs.”
Black leopards belong to the same species as other leopards. They show their spots as a normal coloured leopard but have a darker background colour, giving them the appearance of having a solid black coat.
Black leopards are common to the dense and dimly lit tropical rainforests of south and southeast Asia, where their dark coats provide them with good camouflage. Black leopards are carnivores and males can grow to up to 2.5 metres in length, including tail, while females can grow to up to two metres including tail.
Drayton Manor Zoo is a 15-acre site and home to more than 100 animals species from around the world, including meerkats, tigers, penguins, as well as various birds of prey, reptiles and monkeys and primates.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
