A LEOPARD from Colchester Zoo has travelled to Devon in search of love and romance.

Amur leopard, Lena, has been chosen as a suitable breeding mate for Freddo, a male Amur leopard at Dartmoor Zoo.

Amur leopards are a critically endangered species, and it is hoped that cubs could soon be on the way after Lena’s arrival on Wednesday.

Home - Lena moved into Dartmoor Zoo on August 14 Home - Lena moved into Dartmoor Zoo on August 14 (Image: Colchester Zoo)

A Colchester Zoo spokesman 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, and 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.”

Lena will stay in an off-show habitat while she adjusts to the move, and the Dartmoor Zoo team will regularly monitor 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.

The pairing has been in the works since Freddo arrived at Dartmoor Zoo last November.

Dartmoor Zoo boss David Gibson said: “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.”

Exciting - The pair's meeting has been in the works for Freddo since last year. Exciting - The pair's meeting has been in the works since last year. (Image: Kira Butters)

Amur leopards are considered the rarest cat in the world, with just 200 in captivity and 100 left in the wild.

They are predominantly found in the border areas between Russia, north-east China and North Korea.

The species prefer densely forested areas, which are regularly under threat from unsustainable logging, forest fires, and agriculture and industrial development.