Dartmoor Zoo welcomes 'beautiful' Lynx from Germany

A Devon zoo said it was thrilled to announce that it has welcomed a new Lynx to its site.

Dartmoor Zoo said it was hoping the Carpathian Lynx, seven-year-old Emily, would be a new love interest for its existing male Lynx, Flaviu.

The zoo said the big cat was selected as a "compatible match" within the European Breeding Programme.

The animal arrived at Dartmoor Zoo on 27 February from Karlsruhe Zoo in Germany.

The director of Karlsruhe Zoo, Prof Dr Matthias Reinschmidt said he was pleased the Lynx had found a "very nice place" as part of the studbook.

Carpathian Lynx, a subspecies of Eurasian Lynx, is the largest of all four species, according to Dartmoor Zoo.

Dartmoor Zoo's CEO David Gibson said the new addition to the zoo was a "very beautiful cat with lovely markings".

He added: "It is wonderful to see how calm she is exploring her new home."

He said he hoped she would form a breeding pair with the male Lynx and that it was "a huge privilege" for the zoo to be part of the European Lynx breeding programme.

"We're extremely excited at the thought of possibly welcoming new kittens," he added.

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