UK zoo welcomes 'special' mother and son jaguar pair

Chester Zoo has welcomed two jaguars to a specially designed "retirement" habitat for big cats.

Keepers say the mother and son pair - called Bonita and Remi - are already settling into their new home and exploring their new surroundings side-by-side.

Jaguars are listed as near threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species.

Conservationists warn that factors such as habitat loss and illegal hunting are behind a decline of numbers of the cats in the wild.

16-year-old Bonita, and her 11-year-old son Remi arrived at the zoo, where they will be cared for by its specialist carnivore team.

The jaguars have been rehomed as part of a wider conservation project in Europe designed to look after the species.

Keepers at the zoo called the pair "truly special animals" and said they were "delighted" to be able to provide them with a new retirement home.

Dave Hall, from Chester Zoo, explained: "Bonita has been a devoted mother to Remi throughout his life, so ensuring they stayed together was a real priority for everyone involved."

Mr Hall also said that he hopes the duo will play an important role in helping tell the story of jaguars in the wild.

"We hope their journey will inspire people to care about jaguars and support efforts to protect the forests they depend on," he added.

Jaguars are the largest big cat in the Americas but the number of the species is decreasing due to factors such as deforestation and agricultural activities.