Lincoln Zoo has become the only home in the UK to house a female Indian sloth bear, following the arrival of seven-year-old Zara from Singapore Zoo. Her transfer, completed in late October after 18 months of preparation, marks a significant milestone for the European Endangered Species Programme, which aims to preserve vulnerable animal populations across the continent.
Zara’s arrival will eventually pair her with Randhir, a five-year-old male from Germany, to support breeding efforts and strengthen the genetic diversity of sloth bears in captivity. The species, native to India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, faces population decline due to habitat loss and poaching, with fewer than 20,000 estimated to remain worldwide.
The bear travelled for 16 hours from Singapore to Istanbul, then to London Heathrow, before reaching Lincoln Zoo on 25 October. She is currently acclimatising in a heated enclosure, where keepers report she has adjusted well to her new surroundings.
Zara’s introduction to Randhir will be gradual, allowing time for both animals to familiarise themselves before formal interaction. Her arrival is seen as an important step for UK conservation efforts and a rare opportunity for visitors to see a species absent from the country for over four decades.
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Pasindu
