A stunning leopard is moving spot after his keepers discovered he has a rare heart condition.

The Persian leopard, called Cyrus, lived happily at Chessington World of Adventures Resort but during a routine health check his handlers found the defect.

The condition, which domestic cats also suffer from, is the result of an incompetent aortic valve and means the three-year-old leopard is not allowed to be bred in captivity.

Chessington leopard keeper John Merrington said: "Cyrus is a beautiful cat and, having spent the last three years together, I’m going to miss having him around.

"Sadly, his condition has removed him from the European Breeding Programme however part of managing the Persian Leopard population as a whole is to ensure that we have plans in place for our non-breeding animals to enable them to have as good a quality of life as the breeding animals."

Cyrus will be moving home to The Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre in Leicestershire, an animal sanctuary that specialises in taking care of rare big cats as well as birds.

His handlers hope that at Rutland Cyrus will be given the opportunity to continue living a long, fulfilling and rewarding life.

Persian leopards, which are the largest and among the rarest of the species, are found in rugged mountain terrains in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia.

The species, which are endangered, can weigh up to 60kg and can grow up to three feet high.