Edinburgh ZooAn endangered big cat is the newest addition to Edinburgh Zoo.
Eight-year-old Asiatic lioness Bindee has arrived at her new Scottish enclosure from Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse in France.
The move is part of a vital breeding programme for the endangered species, which aims to conserve healthy and genetically diverse populations of some of the world’s most threatened species in zoos across Europe.
Asiatic lions once roamed areas in Turkey, across Asia, to eastern India, however, extensive hunting for sport almost led to the extinction of the animal.
It is now believed that there are just 600 lions in the wild, all living in the Gir Forest in India, which is an area smaller than Lothian.
Because they are found in just one area, the big cats are especially vulnerable to a disease outbreak or natural disaster.
Bindee will now be gradually introduced to male lion Jay by the zoo’s expert keeper teams over the coming weeks.
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