An endangered red panda is settling in well after swapping the English Riviera for a new enclosure at Peak Wildlife Park in Staffordshire.
Three-year-old Esha travelled to the Midlands on Friday from her previous home at Paignton Zoo in Devon, and once settled in will be joined by her sister, Riya.
Red pandas are endangered due to habitat loss and poaching in the wild.
However institutions such as Peak Wildlife Park, situated on the Staffordshire Moorlands, close to the Peak District National Park, provide a suitable environment for them in a cold climate, with specially-built enclosures simulating a wild climate.
Park director James Butler told the PA news agency: “There was a real buzz about Esha arriving on Friday and she’s settling in really, really well.
“She seems to love the massive enclosure we’ve built especially for her and her sister, and once she’s had a bit more time to adjust, we’re excited to bring Riya to join her.”
The pandas are naturally found in the forests of the eastern Himalayas and southern China and are officially classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here