Two adorable jaguar cubs are born at Loro Parque

Two jaguar cubs were born in December during Loro Parque’s 47th-anniversary celebrations.  A conservation success because the species is threatened, according to the IUCN.

Loro Parque has welcomed the birth of two jaguar cubs that were born in December during their 47th-anniversary celebrations.  The Panthera onca specimens are with their mother, Naya, adapting to their new home where they can already be observed together.

This great event represents a conservation success because the Panthera onca is a species categorized as Near Threatened in the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  One of the greatest dangers faced by jaguar specimens is the high rates of deforestation in Latin America and the fragmentation of their habitats that isolates them and makes them more vulnerable to human persecution.

These births reinforce Loro Parque's place in its commitment to the protection of nature and different species, which makes it a true embassy for wild animals. The birth of new specimens is always an excellent indicator of animal welfare because it means that their requirements are covered and, consequently, they manage to reproduce without difficulty.

To receive the cubs, the entire team of the Terrestrial Mammal Department and the expert vets ensured the correct evolution of Naya's pregnancy. And the team prepared the habitat, especially so that the mother would be comfortable at all times.

For now, as is natural in the first few months, the jaguars are being fed by their mother, who is attentive to their care at all times.  In terms of physical appearance, the twins are similar to their father, Gulliver, who has more visible spots and a lighter-coloured coat.

Conservation success

Naya is part of a conservation programme within the European Endangered Species Programme (EPP), to which zoos linked to the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) are affiliated.  She arrived at Loro Parque in 2019 from a zoological institution in Martinique, in the Caribbean, with the aim of increasing the programme's genetic diversity.

You can read our impressions about Loro Parque after our visit there.