Rare leopard cub born in Devon

1 of only 15 delivered globally this year

Dartmoor Zoo is celebrating after a pair of the world's rarest big cats have become parents.

Travelling from Colchester Zoo, Lena, Freddo’s highly anticipated mate, arrived at the Zoo in August 2024.

After a successful introduction, the pair became inseparable and there were multiple observations of mutual grooming and mating soon after.

Their first cub was born on Monday 29th September, a birth witnessed by staff on CCTV, and less than five weeks later, the cub had begun to explore its surroundings.

This is a huge milestone not just for Dartmoor Zoo, but for global conservation efforts of critically endangered Amur leopards, as the cub is one of only 15 born globally this year.

David Gibson, the Zoo's CEO, said: "The birth of the cub is a culmination of several years of planning and hard work.

It's incredibly rewarding to know we are making a significant contribution to the survival of the most endangered big cat in the world. With less than 400 individuals left around the world between the wild and zoo populations, the arrival of the cub is globally important.

It will be some time yet before the cub is visible to our tourists, but they can rest assured that both mum and cub are getting the very best care and attention in the meantime."

Amur leopards are one of nine species of leopard known to mankind and are critically endangered primarily because of habitat loss and poaching.