WATCH: First meeting of tigers at Highland Wildlife Park goes grrr-eat

Love is in the air at Highland Wildlife Park after endangered Amur tigers, Botzman and Dominika, were caught on camera together for the first time.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland began carefully introducing the pair in November and, following promising behavioral cues, brought them together last week.

A spokeswoman for the wildlife conservation charity said: "We are encouraged by how well the new couple are getting on so far and are hopeful they will have cubs in the future as part of the European endangered species breeding programme."

Dominika and Botzman will remain together during the days when she is in season. The gestation period for a tiger is around three months.

Identified important behavioural cues that the pair were interested in each other included calling, scent marking and the female rolling on her back.

Botzman arrived at the popular attraction by Kincraig in October, last year, with hopes that the breeding programme could be resumed following the earlier death of resident male Marty.

There are only around 500 endangered Amur tigers remaining in the wild.

Previously known as Siberian tigers, the Amur tiger was renamed in the 1990s as the last tigers had long disappeared from Siberia.

They are now found only in isolated populations around the Amur river valley in the far east of Russia and on China's north

The Highland Wildlife Park is currently closed due to Covid19 restrictions.

The public can help feed and care for the animals there by donating today at highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/help

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