A cat famous for looking permanently unimpressed has arrived at Edinburgh Zoo, where keepers hope she and resident male Akiko will help boost a near-threatened species.

The new arrival, Duchess, is a Pallas’s cat, a species known for its downturned mouth, flat head and low-set ears. Those features have helped earn Pallas’s cats the label of the “world’s grumpiest cats”.

Zoo staff plan to introduce Duchess to Akiko as part of an international breeding program. The species is listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Chloe Fyfe, a zoo keeper at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “Duchess has been settling in well and exploring her habitat.

“She is living up to her name, she’s very prim and proper.

“Akiko will have to work hard to impress her when they are introduced, but he is up to the task.

“She has a lovely personality and complements him perfectly.

“Fingers crossed for kittens in the not-too-distant future.”

Pallas’s cats are native to Central Asia. The zoo said their flat heads and low-set ears help them stay hidden as they stalk prey on the steppes, and their round pupils add to the frowning look that has made them widely recognisable online.

Fyfe said: “The grumpy cat phenomenon has been fantastic.

“It’s made Akiko a real visitor favourite, and Duchess will quickly join those ranks.

“The growing interest in the species is invaluable, as it gives us a great opportunity to celebrate these remarkable animals and raise awareness of the challenges they face in the wild.”

Pallas’s cats face threats including habitat loss and degradation through agricultural and infrastructure expansion, loss of prey, and predation by domestic dogs. Their secretive nature and the remoteness of their habitat make them difficult to study, and they are among the least known wild cat species in the world.

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