Caileigh
Robertson, Communications
The
male cub—born second—was the largest at the time of birth. Although he is easily
distinguished by his vocal outbursts, the youngster is startled easily and is
shy around keepers. He’s quite the mama’s boy and is very attached to
Nayla. The third born cub is the second female of the litter. She loves to
play, but always wants to be near one of her siblings. She regularly follows
her older sister and playfully roughhouses with her big brother.
Our
three jaguar cubs received their first
hands-on exams last week and, at 3 months old, keepers determined the cubs’
personalities far outweigh their 10-pound frames.
The trio—born in March to our jaguar pair, 7-year-old Nayla and 14-year-old father Junior—has been under the watchful eye of jaguar mother Nayla since their birth. Jaguar births are rare, and as a “near threatened” species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the jaguar triplets are a major milestone for Woodland Park Zoo’s jaguar conservation efforts.
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| Triple trouble in the cub den. Photo by Jamie Delk/Woodland Park Zoo |
Health
updates were put on hold while first-time mother Nayla demonstrated
natural motherly care and protection, so much that keepers couldn’t get hands
on the cubs until late last week. Staff learned the healthy triplets include
two girls and one boy, all exhibiting curiously different personalities.
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| Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo |
Jaguar
keeper Jamie Delk weighed in on their notable differences, telling us the first
born is a girl, and she happens to be the smallest of the cubs. Despite her
small stature, she’s the most independent and tends to be the leader of the three.
In fact, she was the first to join Nayla to meet the keepers.
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| Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo |
Keepers
say they’re a tiresome group of cubs, and Nayla would especially agree. One of
their favorite toys right now? Nayla’s tail! And with steady growth and
development, the keepers are beginning to introduce the cubs to new toys and enrichment
items such as boxes, paper towel rolls, and small balls. The triplets
really enjoy toys that roll, giving them a chance to playfully swat at them.
Nayla and the cubs also have access to an outside yard, in addition to their indoor
rooms.
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| Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo |
The cubs like to run and jump back and forth
between their indoor room and outside yard to burn off a little energy. These
playful bouts show keepers the cubs’ agility and coordination is strengthening
more and more each day.
But with bigger adventures and play filling their
days come bigger appetites, too. They continue to nurse from mom and receive
eight pounds of meat daily, which is twice the amount of meat Nayla eats on her
own!
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| Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo |
As
the young jaguars continue to grow, our staff is working hard to cub-proof
their exhibit for their big debut. Our keepers are hoping to see a few
additional signs of coordination and growth before introducing them to their
exhibit, but we’re confident visitors will meet the trio this summer.
Keep in mind, habitat
loss and fragmentation of wild areas, hunting by ranchers, and loss of wild
prey due to overhunting by humans are major threats facing jaguars in the wild.
Each year, Woodland Park Zoo’s Jaguar Conservation
Fund supports field conservation projects dedicated to preserving wild jaguars
and their habitat. The fund has given awards to 19 projects in 12 North,
Central and South American countries for a total investment of $113,806.
Currently, the zoo supports three projects in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua
that all aim to find ways for both people and predators to share Earth’s
ecosystems. Learn more about our conservation efforts at zoo.org/conservation.
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