A zoo near Lichfield is hoping love will be in the air for its resident black leopard.
Zuri, a male animal from Spain, is being introduced as part of a breeding programme involving Drayton Manor’s female leopard Zilla.
And keepers have their fingers crossed that the pair will hit it off.
Zoo manager Joyce Roberts said:
“We’re really excited about the arrival of Zuri and we are hoping Zilla will fall for his Spanish charm. Leopards are a highly endangered species, so we really hope they breed and have lots of cubs.”
Black leopards belong to the same species as other leopards and do have spots, but the darker background colour gives them the appearance of having a solid black coat. The animals are common to the dense and dimly lit tropical rainforests of south and southeast Asia, where their dark coats provide them with good camouflage.