Snow leopard Aurora 'finding her feet' at new zoo

Banham Zoo says Aurora has already started to "show off her personality and character"

A snow leopard has "started to find its feet" after being moved from one zoo to another for mating.

Banham Zoo, near Attleborough, Norfolk, said it had welcomed Aurora as part of a European breeding programme.

The two-year-old travelled from Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens in Great Yarmouth, to be partnered with the zoo’s resident snow leopard, Shen.

Snow leopards are listed as "vulnerable" by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), with as few as 4,000 remaining in the wild.

They are mostly found in mountainous regions of Asia where a loss of habitat and poaching has led to dwindling numbers.

Banham Zoo is run by the Zoological Society of East Anglia which also runs Africa Alive near Lowestoft

Graeme Williamson, head of living collections at the Zoological Society of East Anglia, which runs Banham Zoo, said the team was "thrilled" by Aurora’s arrival.

"By participating in the European breeding programme for snow leopards, we hope to raise awareness about their plight in the wild," he said.

"Every visitor who comes to see Aurora will be part of this global conservation effort, and we hope to inspire future generations to take action in protecting our planet’s precious wildlife."

The zoo said it had also welcomed a female sloth and female red panda for breeding.