Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham and Caileigh Robertson, Communications Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo Happy almost 1st birthday, Kuwan, Arizona and Inka! Though the official day is March 22, the jaguar cubs got an early treat this morning—birthday piñatas scented in curry and perfume. Following the trail of the enticing scents, the cubs quickly spotted and went after the decorations. Almost immediately “Happy Birthday” became “Happ Birthday” when Kuwan took down the turtle piñata on the end. Predator instincts kicked into full gear as the jaguars stalked, pounced on, and tore into their piñatas. The cubs also smashed and rubbed against the perfumed “Birthday” letters, but spent most of their energy on destroying the turtles. At nearly 1 year old, sisters Inka and Arizona, and their brother, Kuwan, are a lively trio. The young cats’ daily antics include pouncing, prowling and endless play, pausing only to re-energize with cat naps and hearty meals.  ...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications The big “1” is just around the corner for the jaguar cubs. The adventurous cubs explore the exhibit. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. That’s right, Kuwan, Arizona and Inka turn 1 year old next week on March 22. A lot has happened for these cubs in just one year, like: Babies’ first day outside Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Babies’ first swim Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Babies’ first snowman Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. They may still be little ones in our hearts, but the truth is, we’re not dealing with babies anymore. Looking to the natural history of the jaguar, by one year of age cubs are typically ready to leave their mom. They may stay with their siblings for a time as they mature, and then ultimately they move on to a solitary lifestyle. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Providing the best care for growing animals means looking for clues to know when ...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communication Jaguar cubs Arizona, Inka and Kuwan. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. This week marked the final post-birth exam for the triplet jaguar cubs . These early in life check-ups are meant to ensure the cubs are gaining weight and hitting all of their developmental benchmarks, while also providing the opportunity to give vaccinations, draw blood samples for routine tests, and establish their health baselines. With the cubs now four months old and weighing 25-28 pounds, completing these exams can be a challenge. The cubs first need to be transferred one by one to the zoo’s Animal Health hospital. Getting the cubs into their transfer crate requires their cooperation—something they aren’t always willing to give. Cats will be cats. Arizona is readied for her exam. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Once a cub arrives at the hospital, it is anesthetized for the exam. This allows the zoo’s veterinary team to get in close to in...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications It's official! The jaguar cubs now have daily access to their exhibit from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Jaguar cub up close. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Look for the cubs cozying up in the cave or exploring the higher reaches of the exhibit. The cubs may begin retreating to their behind-the-scenes bedroom between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Don't miss our Zoo Babies webpage to learn more about the jaguar cubs and the other tiny tykes that now call the zoo home. Love jaguars and want to support our conservation efforts to protect them and other wildlife ? Become a jaguar ZooParent today! Your ZooParent adoption helps us care for the animals at the zoo and sends $5 directly to field conservation projects in the wild.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo, Video by Caileigh Robertson/Woodland Park Zoo [ UPDATE: The jaguar cubs have now made their official debut and have daily access to their exhibit, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.] It’s a good thing these jaguar cubs are creatures of the rain forest, as their very first steps outdoors were soggy ones. Three-month-old jaguar triplets—brother Kuwan and sisters Inka and Arizona—had their first practice session outside today. The trio is getting ready for their official public debut, which should be coming up any day as the cubs get used to their new digs. Before the zoo opened to the public this morning, a lucky few of us zoo staff gathered around the exhibit at Jaguar Cove and watched to see what would happen when the jaguars’ den door opened. Out came the cubs for the first time, bouncing out with less of a predatory slinking and more of an enthusiastic tromping. The keepers pred...

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo except where otherwise noted. The truth is, Junior buckled. Leading up to the naming ceremony, the communications and animal management teams prepared with hours of work: planning the press op, selecting culturally significant names, molding papier-mâché enrichment into maracas, and warming up Junior to practice piñatas for a successful ceremony. Three name options chosen by jaguar zookeepers—Cruz, Tlaloc and Kuwan—were individually paired with tasty, enticing piñatas and hung from a low tree branch for Junior in Jaguar Cove Friday morning. The goal was for Junior to bite into one of the named piñatas and thus ultimately decide the name of his first-born son. The three colorful piñatas tempted Junior toward his big decision with the scents of raw, juicy chicken, which was stuffed inside the maracas. With the lure of his favorite treat, there was no doubt Junior would be game to complet...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo They each now weigh more than an average bowling ball. It’s getting harder to handle our growing jaguar cubs , and their 9-week exam last week was the first that required anesthesia to safely complete the brief check-ups. To make sure each cub got the team’s full attention, we conducted the exams one at a time, carefully escorting each cub to the zoo’s mobile hospital in the back of our animal health ambulance. Here the vets completed the basics of each exam, including: The weigh-in. The cubs are each around 15-16 pounds. Taking measurements to make sure growth is on track. The visual inspection, including a look at the paws, skin and fur. And a dental inspection to see how the teeth are growing and to get a glimpse of their oral health. After giving each cub required feline vaccinations, they were quickly returned to their behind-the-scenes hom...