Lion's Dudley Zoo return goes purr-fectly
A big cat has been having a roaring time on his return to a Black Country zoo 12 years on from being born there.
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Handsome 12-year-old male lion, Jetpur, who has been nicknamed Jet for short, returned to Dudley Zoo in October.
Section leader, Jay Haywood, said: We are getting to know his character more and more every day and weve started calling him Jet for short.
He has been getting on very well with the girls Asha and Kyra and they have been mating which is wonderful.
Jet has really got to grips with his Dudley routine now and knows when its feeding time and when to come inside. He is very laid back but stubborn as well and does what he wants to do. Hes not at all the same character as his father Max, who could be quite feisty. Jet is very relaxed and is right at home here.
And Jet was taking things easy throughout the festive seasons special events.
Jetpur was one of triplets born at the zoo to mother Gir and dad Max on July 6 2003 and moved to Mulhouse Zoo, in France, on June 16 2005.
He left to form a breeding pair with lioness Sita in France and together they have produced a total of 10 cubs as part of an international breeding programme. He has made a roaring return to the Black Country lifestyle joining nine-year-old females Kyra and Asha.
It is now hoped that Jetpur will continue to breed.
Asiatic lions are smaller and lighter than their African counterparts and have a shaggier coat with a distinctive fold of skin that runs along the belly.
They mainly live in prides ranging from having two adult females, with the largest having five. It comes as three enclosures at the zoo are in line for a revamp costing £200,000 to bring visitors even closer to the animals.
