Longleat welcomes Yani the southern koala from Hong Kong

Yani the koala took the long flight from Hong Kong to Heathrow last month

Longleat safari park has welcomed a new addition to its koala clan from Hong Kong.

Yani, was transported from southern Asia, after spending the past four years on her own following the death of her companion.

The Wiltshire safari park is home to Europe's only group of southern koalas.

James Dennis, a keeper at Longleat, said: "Yani's koala companion Dougie died in 2018 from kidney disease and she has been alone ever since."

He added: "Yani is an amazing koala, she is a quite a stubborn character but she does love her food.

"Her keepers in Hong Kong have done an amazing but they felt it would be in her best interest for her to live with others of her own kind."

She becomes one of seven southern koalas based there.

Before arriving in the UK, Yani was originally from Kangaroo Island in Australia, when she was rescued as an orphan and taken to a wildlife park in Queensland.

She then moved to Hong Kong for as part of a captive breeding programme.

When Yani's companion Dougie died, wildlife experts in Kong Kong decided Longleat would be the best place to look after her.

Her arrival at Longleat means she is now the seventh southern koala in Europe, joining Dennis, Burke, Maizie, Violet, Hazel and Monty.