ZooBorns

Announcing "ZooBorns CATS!": The Newest Edition in the ZooBorns Library!

From the guys who brought you the smash hit ZooBorns: The Newest, Cutest Animals from the World's Zoos and Aquariums, which DiscoverMagazine.com called “hands down the cutest books ever to grace my shelf” comes ZooBorns CATS! The Newest, Cutest Kittens and Cubs from the World's Zoos featuring adorable pictures of newborn felines from accredited zoos and conservation programs around the world. ZooBorns: Cats! is the largest and most complete collection of kittens of different feline species ever published! Every sale of ZooBorns Cats! supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund. With the official release on November 1st, you can pre-order ZooBorns CATS! now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Look out for exclusive giveaways and excerpts on our Facebook page in the coming weeks! 

Single Jaguar Cub A Welcome Addition

On June 3, one tiny Jaguar cub was welcomed into the world by The Philadelphia Zoo. Kanga, the Zoo’s 10 year-old female, is the mother. The baby is the first offspring for Jutai, the Zoo’s 7-year-old male jaguar, who came to the Philadelphia Zoo in 2007 after being rescued as an orphan in Belize.

Jaguar cubs are essentially helpless, and in those early days Kanga was in constant physical contact with her cub from the moment it was born, caring for and feeding it. The first 72 hours of the cub’s life are the most critical and so the cub was monitored closely by the Zoo’s animal and veterinary staff via video (see below). When they finally were able to get close enough to determine the gender they learned it was a male. They've named him Lucha.

Photo Credit: Philadelphia Zoo

Below is how the keepers watched as Mom Kanga cared for tiny Lucha back in June. The video below just following shows Lucha taking his first steps outside into the habitat with his mother, just a few days ago. 

 

 

American Jaguar Cubs Venture Out In Europe

Just before and after Christmas, Zoo Bratislava welcomed two Jaguar cubs as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums breeding program for this species. Both born to mother Laima, the pregnancy and successful birth was a small miracle since father Boris had initially exhibited significant aggression towards Laima. 

Leading up to the birth, Zoo staff prepared a wooden birthing box lined with wool in the back of the breeding facility, away from the visitors’ area. Even though it was Laima’s first birth she managed it without complications and since the first day she was a very dedicated mother, providing excellent care for her cubs. Typical for Jaguar, she aggressively protects her cubs. During the first month after the cubs’ birth, Laima would not tolerate her keepers in the vicinity of the birthing box. In order to minimize Laima’s stress, Zoo staff kept their distance.

These outstanding images were taken by the very talented Emmanuel Keller, a frequent contributor to ZooBorns.

Many more exceptional photos below the fold.

Jaguar Twins in Tenerife

While one may sport a smooth black coat and the other a scattering of spots, these two adorable Jaguar cubs are in fact siblings; the latest set of twins to arrive at Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain. Taking after their parents with their strikingly different coats, these inquisitive 4 week old cats are growing in strength day by day thanks to their mother's constant attention. Jaguars are generally tawny yellow with black rosettes, however 6% of this big cat family possess an almost entirely black coat, a trait shared by one of the cubs and mom. A "near threatened" species, the jaguar's numbers in the wild are in decline which is why breeding programs such as those at Loro Parque are key to preserving the population of this majestic feline.

Photo / footage credit: Ulrich Brodde, Loro Parque Tenerife

Jaguar Cub: Jordan Zoo's Newest Joy

Pics taken last week at the Jordan Zoo show jaguar mom Lolo enjoying a good wrestle (and occasional nibble) from her newborn cub. Unlike her spotted cub, Lolo is melanistic, which means she possesses and exhibits more dark pigmentation than a typical jaguar.

(Ali Jarekji/REUTERS)

The battle rages on beneath the fold...

Jaguar Cubs at the Mesker Park Zoo

On September 22nd, the Mesker Park Zoo welcomed two beautiful jaguar girls born to first time parents Beliza and Cuxtal. The cubs currently weigh 7 pounds, but are gaining weight quickly so we suggest you get to the zoo as fast as possible. However, if a trip to Indiana isn't in the cards in the near future, you can watch them from anywhere in the world via the zoo's live streaming Jaguar Cam!

 

 

And a picture of mom lounging.

 

Photo credits: Brad Fichter / Mesker Park Zoo

Adopt a Jaguar (or Three!)

Caring for new zoo borns is pricey, particularly so for large carnivores, and times three when you have triplets! Well now you can help feed and care for the Akron Zoo's three adorable jaguar cubs through their Care for a Critter Program. Besides the fact that you will be assisting conservation efforts for an endangered species, it also makes a great gift for that zoo/cat lover in your life as the sponsorship package includes a 12-inch plush jaguar, a photo of the cubs, a certificate of sponsorship, a jaguar fact sheet, your name on the zoo’s website and two tickets to the zoo’s Care for a Critter Appreciation Day on September 19, 2009 (if you don't live in Ohio, maybe you can donate the tix to someone in the area).

Sign up on the Zoo's website or call (330) 375-2550 ext. 7231. On a side note, as an animal lover from a young age, the animal adoption packages I received as a child were some of my favorite gifts. A great way to both reward and educate a young person in your life.

Black Jaguar Baby

A newborn black jaguar is carried by her mother, named Venus, at the Park of the Legends zoo in Lima, Friday, May 8, 2009. The cub, born on April 14, is the fourth born in captivity in Peru and still hasn't got a name. 

AP Photos/Karel Navarro

Palm Beach Zoo Debuts Maya, the Bashful Baby Jaguar

The Palm Beach Zoo introduced its newest arrival on Monday. With some coaxing, shaking branches, and a toy bouncy ball, Maya was soon out in public view for the first time.

Read on for an adorable video of Maya's cautious debut.

TLC with Brevard Zoo's Jaguar Cubs

Back in November, ZooBorns reported on the births of two loveable Jaguar cubs at the Brevard Zoo.  Now just three months old, the babies can be seen playing, cuddling, and nursing in their exhibit. These photos, taken on December 31 by Eric Hochstadt, show one of the cubs bonding with Mom and exploring a more vegetarian diet.