A critically endangered Barbary lioness has arrived at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Hythe.
 

The lioness named Ruti was flown in from the Spanish city of Madrid.

It is hoped that as she settles in and becomes more confident in her surroundings she will eventually become a mate for Milo – a male Barbary lion living at Port Lympne.

Adrian Harland Animal Director said: "Ruti seems to be settling in very well and it is hoped that we can put her and Milo together in the near future."

Ruti at Port Lympne    Photo: Dave Rolfe ©

Barbary or Atlas lions – so called because they once roamed the Atlas mountains are extinct in the wild; the last one was shot by a hunter in the 1920s, however the king of Morocco kept lions in the royal menagerie until the 1970s when they were transferred to Rabat Zoo as part of an international breeding programme.

Adrian said: "It is a sad fact that true Barbary lions are extinct in the wild - international breeding programmes which aim to save the last of this sub species of lion are critically important."

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©