The two snow leopards that have been rehomed in West Lothian were on view to the public for the first time last weekend.
The Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder welcomed sisters Nela and Aruna on March 6, but they were quarantined while a new enclosure was built for them to recreate their native mountainous habitat.
Speaking to the Courier about how the snow leopards are settling into their new home, Gary Curran, carnivore keeper at Five Sisters, said: “We gave them access to the new enclosure on Friday, and one of them ventured out for a quick look but then retreated to their back area quite quickly - we knew it would take them a little while to get used to it.
“Then on Saturday afternoon (March 22), once the zoo got more quiet, they both came out and started exploring.”
Speaking about how visitors to the zoo were reacting to the new arrivals, Gary said: “Everyone that I’ve spoken to in that area of the zoo has been amazed by them - I think most people fall in love with them as soon as they see them.
“Their camouflage does let them blend into the backdrop a little bit, so it can take a minute to spot them sometimes.”
Read more: West Lothian pet food bank seek donations for new storage facility
He added: “I get excited whenever any new animals come into my section, but the snow leopards are clearly very special.”
The big cats made a long and eventful journey before finally arriving in West Calder - they were born with their brother in a German zoo, and were transported to what was hoped to be a permanent home in France.
Shortly after their arrival, the French zoo was closed to the public, so the snow leopards were transported to the Nature Help Centre in Belgium on a temporary basis.
At this point, a Russian family came forward and claimed ownership of the snow leopards, saying they had paid for them prior to the closure of the French zoo, but their claim was dismissed following a lengthy court case.
Due to the Five Sisters Zoo and the Nature Help Centre’s previous success rehoming European brown bears and lions, Five Sisters were asked to rehome the two female snow leopards - with their brother being matched with a female at a zoo in Estonia.
Both Nela and Aruna are to be part of the snow leopard international breeding programme.
The zoo hopes that the big cats thrive in their new Scottish home, and wish all visitors happy snow leopard spotting.
