A rare snow leopard named Chris has been transferred from Lakeland Wildlife Oasis in Cumbria to Zurich Zoo in Switzerland as part of a European breeding programme. The three-year-old male was born at the Lake District zoo in May 2018 and named through a children's competition.
Chris travelled by road and ferry to Zurich, where he is expected to mate with a female snow leopard. Snow leopards are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with fewer than 8,000 estimated remaining in the wild.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis joined the European snow leopard breeding programme in 2011. Its resident pair, Tara and Pavan, have produced three cubs, with Chris being the third. The other two cubs now reside in Poland and Italy, contributing to the programme's success.
Zoo manager Jack Williams expressed a special bond with Chris, who was born the weekend he became manager. 'Over the past 18 months or so he's resulted in thousands of visitors flocking to see him,' Williams said. 'It's quite sad, he'll be really missed, but we've still got mum and dad.'
To fill the gap, the zoo has introduced a pair of hairy armadillos, which have proven popular with visitors. Williams noted, 'It just goes to show, people like cute things, and hopefully soon there will be more babies to see.'
