A CRITICALLY endangered Sumatran tiger has been welcomed to his new home at Edinburgh Zoo.

Four-year-old Lucu is settling in to his new surroundings after arriving yesterday from Paignton Zoo in Devon.

Keepers hope that in the future the zoo’s female tiger Dharma will be able to breed with the new arrival.

Darren McGarry, the head of living collections at The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said staff are “very excited” to welcome Lucu.

“It will take a couple of days for him to settle in and explore his new home, and we will slowly begin introductions with Dharma in the months to come,” he said.

“Sumatran tigers are critically endangered in the wild and any cubs Lucu and Dharma raise would be a potentially important contribution to the future of the species, which is at risk of extinction due to extensive habitat loss and poaching.”

Lucu will spend the weekend in his indoor area at the zoo.

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