Edinburgh Zoo welcomes cheetah Billy from Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire

A four-year-old cheetah has arrived at Edinburgh Zoo.

Billy arrived in Scotland on Wednesday after being transferred from Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

It is hoped visitors will be able to get their first glimpse of Billy next week, as he settles into his new surroundings.

Billy’s arrival follows the death of the zoo’s previous cheetah Cleo, who died just one month after arriving at the facility following a short illness.

Edinburgh & East

Cheetah dies following short illness one month after arriving at Edinburgh Zoo

Five-year-old Cleo arrived in Edinburgh from Fota Wildlife Park in the Republic of Ireland on August 1.

Edinburgh Zoo plans to welcome a female cheetah in the future, with hopes the pair will produce cubs.

Cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 75mph, making them the fastest land animals in the world.

They are native across Africa and some parts of Southwestern Asia, but their numbers are declining.

The species is listed as vulnerable in the wild, with a decreasing population estimated at 6,500 mature individuals.

Cheetahs have around 2,000 round or oval-shaped spots, while leopards and jaguars have more distinctive “rosette” spots shaped like roses.

Billy is the second cheetah to reside at the zoo in the past 25 years. RZSS

Jo Elliott, RZSS curator, said, “Billy is already beginning to show his personality and we can’t wait for visitors to see him.

“We hope to be able to welcome a female cheetah in future to live with him and maybe have some cubs.

“The first cheetah to live at Edinburgh Zoo arrived in 1922, but Billy is only the second cheetah we have had here in 25 years, following the sad death of Cleo last year.”