 LOVE was in the air yesterday as North Wales' first snow leopards got to know each other. Bosses at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay, are hoping new arrivals Otilia and Szechuan may breed. They were paired together after travelling from the furthest corners of Europe. Female Otilia was born in Tallinn Zoo, Estonia, on April 29 last year. Male Szechuan, born in Hungary's Szeged Zoo three days later, was playing hard to get in his new home as he is spending most of his time up a tree. The rare animals were chosen as a potential breeding pair for the zoo as part of a carefully controlled conservation programme. Snow leopards caught the imagination of the public recently when the elusive big cats were featured on TV wildlife programme Planet Earth. Native to the mountains of south central Asia, the snow leopard is recognised by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species. There are only 3,500-7,000 remaining in the wild and between 600 and 700 in captive breeding programmes. Weighing between 35 and 55kg (77-121lb) and measuring over 60cm (24in) in height, the leopards enjoy a diet of chicken, beef and bones. Zoological director Nick Jackson said: "Zoo visitors can admire these captivating leopards in Colwyn Bay knowing that they are contributing to protecting the species from extinction in the wild." | 
