Edinburgh Zoo welcomes brand new species

Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed a brand-new species ahead of the summer holidays. Daisy, Shelly and Lancelot, female leopard tortoises, recently arrived from Blackpool Zoo and can be spotted by visitors in the zoo’s pygmy hippo house.

Leopard tortoises are native to the savannas of eastern and southern Africa and can live to be up to 100 years old. They get their name from the distinctive black spots and dashes of yellow on their shells and are the fourth largest species of tortoise in the world, weighing in at up to 13kg – a little more than a 24 pack of Irn-Bru.

Visitors can book tickets to Edinburgh Zoo online and save at edinburghzoo.org.uk/tickets