A new male tiger has become the latest resident of the Big Cat Habitat at Blackpool Zoo.

Rusty the male Amur tiger arrived from Longleat Safari Park in Warminster last week.

He is now getting settled into his new home in the £1.5 million Big Cat Habitat at the zoo in East Park Drive, which was opened to the public in May 2023.

The habitat is home to African lion 'Khari' and his pride Narla, Emma and Hira, as well as Alyona, an Amur tiger.

Fellow Amur Rusty was born in Longleat Safari Park in 2019 alongside his sister, Yuki, to parents Yana and Red, and he was said to be an instant hit with visitors.

He is an Amur, an endangered species of tiger that is the largest breed of cat on earth.

Also known as the Siberian tiger, they measure on average two metres long and a metre tall with a metre long tail, and typically weighing around 200kg.

Big Cat Habitat combines increased indoor space and a larger off-show management area with extended external paddocks and improved keeper facilities.

As Rusty is currently settling into his new surroundings, visitors may not see him out and about for a few more days.

Darren Webster, zoo director at Blackpool Zoo, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Rusty to Blackpool Zoo and he is settling in very well in his new home.

“He is a stunning tiger and a very important part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for Amur tigers, which are the largest species of cat on earth.

“His presence in our new Big Cat Habitat will certainly be a welcome sight for keepers, staff and visitors alike.”

The most recent IUCN Red List assessment of Amur tigers, published in 2022, estimated the population at 265 to 486 in the Russian Far East, with a further small number ranging across the border into China and possibly North Korea.

Threats include human and tiger conflict, poaching, forest fires and logging.