A RARE giant anteater has arrived at Chester Zoo as part of a European endangered species breeding programme.

Oso, the four-year-old male moved from a zoo in Cumbria after he was carefully chosen as a perfect match for Chester's resident female Bliss.

He will be slowly introduced to his new companion by the zoo’s expert team of keepers after being selected as an ideal genetic pairing.

Staff are hoping the duo will get along and produce young in the future.

Curator of mammals at Chester Zoo Tim Rowlands said: “Oso is a very important giant anteater as males are scarce in the European breeding programme.

"His genetic makeup is vital to the future conservation breeding of the species and hopefully, in time, he’ll hit it off with female Bliss and they’ll go on to have pups.”

Native to central and south America giant anteaters are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Threatened on both continents much of the grassland they depend on to survive has been destroyed.

Field conservation manager Cat Barton said: “Few long-term studies of giant anteaters have ever been carried out, making effective conservation actions for these unique-looking animals very difficult.

"However, the zoo is supporting efforts in South America which are working to put that right.

“Through a project titled Anteaters and Highways, our partners in Brazil are carrying out vital research to assess the impact of road deaths on giant anteaters over thousands of miles of roads.

"Such a high number of road kills have been recorded that it’s now presumed one of the main threats to the species after habitat loss.

“GPS collars fitted to giant anteaters are providing valuable information on when and how they cross roads so that strategies can be put in place to help prevent the high numbers of anteaters falling victim.

"Camera traps are also helping to provide estimates of population sizes living close to and far from roads.

“In many areas there are negative superstitions about them, all of which are affecting their survival.

"Surveys are also therefore being carried out to understand motorists’ perceptions and attitude towards the species.

“Our work with the giant anteaters at the zoo and our support for conservation projects in the wild are critical to understanding more about this wonderful animal and to protecting future generations.”