Smarden: Endangered leopard arrives in Kent for breeding

Leia, a five-year-old Amur leopard, is part of an international breeding programme

A "critically endangered" leopard has arrived at a conservation project in Kent as part of an international breeding programme.

Leia, a five-year-old Amur leopard, was transported to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden on 15 December.

She will be partnered with a three-year-old male, Luka, from the same species.

A sanctuary spokesperson said her arrival from Norfolk had been "seamless".

Leia was born and raised at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens in Great Yarmouth.

Amur leopards are found in the wild in far-eastern Russia in the Amur valley.

Their main threats are from poaching, habitat destruction and natural disasters.

They are the most critically endangered big cat with only about 100 estimated left in the wild, according to the Kent-based sanctuary.

'Safety net'

Curator Briony Smith said: "We hope Leia and Luka can boost the genetic diversity and number in the captive population, which acts as a safety net for the species.

"We really look forward to getting to know Leia's personality and to see their relationship blossom."

There are believed to be only 215 Amur leopards in captivity worldwide.

The Big Cat Sanctuary has described the planned mating of the pair as "significant".

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