New surroundings for rare leopard

Tairi is thought to be the only North Chinese leopard in the UK

A rare North Chinese leopard that is thought to be the only one in the UK is settling into its new home in Kent, according to his keepers.

Tairi has spent the last six days getting used to his new surroundings at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation in Smarden, Ashford.

It is hoped the 22-month-old leopard, who was reared in captivity in Paris, will mate once he turns four.

Chief executive Mark Edgerley said his appetite was bigger than they expected.

He said it was believed that there were just 2,500 North Chinese leopards in the wild and about 100 in captivity.

'Very fiery'

And according to the breed's stud book keeper, the leopard is the only one of its kind currently in the UK.

Mr Edgerley said: "It will take him a while to settle in here, moving is very unsettling for leopards and they are a very shy species.

"His appetite is actually bigger than I would have expected, normally they don't eat for the first ten days or so after moving."

The centre is an active partner in the European Endangered Species Breeding Programmes (EEP).

Its cats currently include snow leopards, Sumatran tigers, Amur leopards and an ocelot.

The North Chinese leopard was called Tairi after the French Polynesian god of thunder.

Mr Edgerley said: "Already we can see that he is very fiery, which is what we like. We want our cats to be as wild as possible, we don't want them to be timid."