Black jaguar settles into her new home

Inka the Panther with a black coat and sharp teethImage source, Chester Zoo
Image caption,

Inka, the new arrival at Chester Zoo

A rare black jaguar named Inka has arrived at Chester Zoo as part of a special programme to protect the "remarkable" species.

Inka made the move from The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent and travelled up north as part of a programme in the hope that she will find a mate.

The programme aims to ensure the species has a "genetically viable population." - that means to have a range of different traits within a species.

The two-year-old female joined her brand new housemate, Napo, a male jaguar who already lives at the zoo.

Chester Zoo's carnivores manager Dave Hall said "We hope the two of them will go to form a strong and meaningful bond, and the early signs are positive."

Image source, Chester Zoo
Image caption,

Napo, a male jaguar that already lives at the zoo

He added that the "remarkable animals" will be able to help them raise "awareness of the survival challenges that they face in the wild".

The future of the species is under pressure from habitat loss, illegal hunting and clashes with humans.

These can all cause numbers in the wild to decline, so projects like this one are very important.

Paul Bamford, regional field programmes manager said Chester Zoo are "are supporting efforts" that will help to ensure "deforestation is minimised, or eliminated for good, and wildlife can live safely alongside productive areas."

He explained that a large amount of deforestation in Latin America happens because companies are trying to meet the demand for soy and palm oil.

Deforestation is when trees are cut down for materials, or to make space for farming or houses.

Image source, Chester Zoo
Image caption,

The zoo said that Napo and Inka have very different coat colours and Inka's dark colouring was a result of a genetic mutation known as melanism.

Black jaguars are often called panthers, but Dave Hall explained there is "no such species as a black panther".

Inka's dark coat is a result of a genetic mutation (which is a change in a piece of DNA) known as melanism.

In fact, "black panther" is just a term used to refer to any big cat with a black coat.