Dartmoor Zoo welcomes rare Amur Leopard

Lena has been chosen as a suitable breeding mate for Freddo

Dartmoor Zoo is welcoming a new resident, a critically endangered Amur Leopard named Lena, arriving from Colchester Zoo. At 4 years and 8 months of age, Lena has been chosen as a suitable breeding mate for Freddo and this much anticipated pairing has been in the works since Freddo’s arrival in November 2023.

Colchester Zoo’s Carnivore Lead Emma commented: “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.”

Dartmoor Zoo’s CEO David Gibson commented:
“The arrival of a female Amur Leopard, to hopefully breed with our resident male Freddo, is the latest in our continued development of the animal collection here at Dartmoor Zoo. One of the many essential roles that modern zoos perform is the Conservation Breeding of Critically Endangered species such as Amur Leopards. We are delighted to be able to play our part in the continued conservation of this iconic and charismatic species.”

Lena will be moving into an off-show habitat while she adjusts to the move and the team will be regularly monitoring her welfare during this time. Observations will also be carried out to assess Lena and Freddo’s interactions, whilst plans will be made to work towards an introduction in the future.