Chester Zoo has brought a new rare big cat into town, and she’s one good-looking feline.
The tourist attraction near Greater Manchester introduced the world to Inka, a two-year-old black jaguar, over the weekend.
She’s been brought to the zoo to be a companion for Chester Zoo‘s resident male, Napo.
Videos shared by the zoo show Inka exploring her new habitat with her jaw dropped – not a cat body language expert but she looks pretty stunned by her new home.
The gorgeous animal still has those signature jaguar markings, but she’s in shades of black and grey rather than the classic browns and oranges.
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It’s not just us falling in love with Inka either – Chester Zoo themselves described her as a ‘strikingly beautiful, bold and confident’ young jaguar. Which zookeeper’s been copying my Tinder bio?!
But then the zoo went on to say she has ‘short and thick set limbs’, which isn’t so complimentary.
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Fans have been delighted to see Inka making herself at home at the zoo, with hundreds of comments calling her ‘stunning’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘gorgeous’.
One person wrote: “She is beautiful! I follow the big cat sanctuary and love seeing her there, looking forward to seeing plenty of pics of her at Chester.”
Another said: “Stunningly gorgeous, what a beautiful addition to a brilliant zoo. So lucky to have Chester zoo on our doorstep.”
Carnivore experts at the zoo say her arrival will help to put a spotlight on her ‘remarkable’ species and support a European-wide conservation programme.
Jaguars are native to the Americas and listed as ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Their numbers are declining in the wild, mostly because of humans – habitat loss, illegal hunting and conflict with humans are putting them at risk of extinction.
Dave Hall, team manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, said: “Inka is a strikingly beautiful, bold and confident young jaguar and she’s quickly taken to her new surroundings.
“The union between her and Napo, the resident male here in Chester, has been carefully orchestrated by carnivore experts from here (Chester Zoo) and The Big Cat Sanctuary and the coordinators of a programme that’s working in partnership to ensure a genetically viable population of jaguars across Europe.
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Inka, a rare black jaguar, has arrived at Chester Zoo. Credit: SuppliedChester Zoo’s resident male jaguar Napo, who will be Inka’s companion. Credit: SuppliedInka inspecting her new home at Chester Zoo. Credit: Supplied
“We hope the two of them will go to form a strong and meaningful bond, and the early signs are positive.
“Like Napo, Inka is a wonderful ambassador for her species. Jaguars are remarkable animals and the two of them together will help us to raise more much-needed awareness of the survival challenges that they face in the wild, the work that’s already being done by zoos, our partners and the local conservationists and communities to protect the ecosystems that jaguars live in, and help us to inspire further action for their conservation.”
Paul Bamford, regional field programmes manager for the Americas at Chester Zoo, added: “Deforestation and habitat fragmentation are reducing jaguar populations across their range. According to the IUCN, close to 70% of deforestation in Latin America is driven by industrial agriculture, primarily for soy, oil palm and cattle production.
“Many of these products are exported to countries such as the UK, and therefore, our shopping habits can have a significant impact on global biodiversity loss. In our role as consumers, we are unwittingly contributing to the destruction of nature on our planet.
“At Chester Zoo we are working to influence policy, both in the UK and internationally, to address this. We are supporting efforts to improve production standards and legislation so that deforestation is minimised, or eliminated for good, and wildlife can live safely alongside productive areas.
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“The goal is to create a deforestation-free economy, in which countries are able to meet their development needs sustainably. If we can break the link between habitat loss and production, then we have the opportunity secure a future for people and wildlife.”
Forget pub crawls – you can now go on a guided cheese crawl around Manchester
Thomas Melia
Manchester is a foodie’s paradise and with so many options at hand why not break it down into individual food groups – starting with the dairy crowd pleaser, cheese.
Long gone are the draining pub crawls of the past, it’s time to make way for the new pioneer in the world of adventurous crawling, ‘The Manchester Cheese Crawl’.
There’s always lots of food and drink options flowing throughout our bubbly city spanning all cuisines and cultures so it comes as no surprise that the latest way to experience Manchester is via cheese, a staple of many citizens’ diets.
On the tour, there will be insider knowledge on-hand as you wander the streets and sample the creamy delights, assisting you with any dying queso queries and pecorino ponders that you need to get off your chest.
There’ll be plenty of familiar independents on the Manchester Cheese Crawl, including Northern Soul’s impressive grilled cheese sandwiches as well as more traditional cheese samples.
How could this experience get any better I hear you ask, how about a free glass of fizz to accompany those already impressive cheese selections? Yes please!
Guests can expect to sample some of Manchester’s dairy delights while being directed by some of Manchester’s top cheese connoisseurs that are the real big cheese.
Groups who take the tour aren’t just treated to food and drink, they also receive free entertainment from their food guides who are prepared to make you chuckle with their incredible humour.
The Manchester Cheese Crawl will feature plenty of bites for curd nerdsA selection of dairy heaven displayed on a wonderful variety cheese board.Credit: Unsplash
Previous visitors have commented on their experience while taking the tour sharing the names their groups received with highlights such as ‘Shaken not curd’ and ‘Three blind mice’.
They really are serious about their cheeses, another previous visitor who went on the tour revealed their guide even had a name that perfectly fit the occasion, ‘Mel the babybel’.
It’s sure to be a fantastic day with games and activities planned for all as you walk between the shops landmarked on the cheese-filled route.
Everyone on the tour also gets a small taste of the high life as they are treated to a Lancashire cheese handmade by a local star and celebrity.
Starting at the Richard Cobden Statue and finishing on the always vibrant Tib Street, a quick google search reveals this walk isn’t too strenuous taking only 12 minutes but with many cheeses to get your whiskers on it will probably take around an estimated two hours to tackle.
Running this Saturday 16 November and planned to continue until November 2025 and beyond, you’d be emmental to miss out on this cheesy adventure.
If all this cheese talk has left you dreaming about your next foodie fix, tickets for ‘The Manchester Cheese Crawl’ are on sale and available here.
Featured Image: Unsplash
Travel & Tourism
Manchester has been named one of Europe’s top destinations to visit this winter
Daisy Jackson
Manchester has been named one of the best places to visit in Europe this winter – apparently our city is ‘brilliant when the cold snap hits’.
The list of 14 winter destinations includes snowy paradises like Grindelwald in Switzerland and Lapland in Finland, as well as vibrant cities famed for their Christmas vibes, like Riga in Latvia and even Amsterdam.
But coming in at a respectable 6th place – and the only UK city on the list – is our very own home city.
Time Out’s list of the best winter destinations in Europe, picked by travel writers, shouted out the Manchester Christmas Markets, as well as the quieter places you can hide from the elements (and the crowds).
Picked for being the best place to find indoorsy things to do, Time Out listed Mackie Mayor and Skof, as well as John Rylands Library, as reasons people should visit Manchester this winter.
They wrote: “Even though it’s pretty much guaranteed the North of England will be battered by wind and rain throughout the winter, Manchester is a brilliant place to be when the cold snap hits.
“Spend your days dipping into vintage shops and record stores, and fuel up with street food at Mackie Mayor (or for an occasion, book a table at new-ish fine dining spot Skof).
“What’s more, Manchester’s home to a surprisingly brilliant selection of Christmas markets, from classics to goth-themed, all selling great food and gifts from independent shops.
“If the weather really goes wild, hide out in John Rylands Library, one of the most hauntingly beautiful spots in the city.”
Daisy Jackson -
6th August 2023 
