Size
Weight	They can weigh between 100 and 250 pounds, with males generally larger than the females.
Conservation Status	On the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the jaguar is listed as Near Threatened.
Diet	Jaguars prefer large prey such as deer and peccaries but will eat anything they can catch including frogs. At the Zoo, their diet includes a commercial meat mix, beef long bones and shank bones as well as whole prey such as rabbits. The diet is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of each animal. A beef shank bone is offered once a week. Because shank bones have nearly 7 lbs of meat attached to them, some of the meat is removed from the bone before it is offered to this species. In addition to food, the shank bones provide exercise for the animal’s jaw muscles.
Geographic Range	Jaguars can be found throughout Central and South America. There have also been sightings in the southwestern United States, where jaguars were thought to have disappeared. Jaguars can be found in a variety of habitats: densely covered forests, shoreline forests, scrubland and open ranges with tall grass and rocky terrain. The jaguar depends on finding habitats with an adequate water supply and enough terrain to offer concealment and the opportunity to hunt in stealth.
Where to find me in the Zoo	Bank of America Big Cat Falls

Note: Description below should include Longevity, Behavior, and Reproduction information

Some jaguars are "tawny" with yellowish to brown fur and a visible pattern of rosette markings across its body. Others are melanistic or black. Black jaguars are not uncommon. These jaguars have a spotted skin, with black fur. At certain angles you can actually see the spotted skin of the jaguar under its dark colored fur.

The irregular shapes within the rosette markings on a jaguar's body (basically a spot within a spot) can more distinguished more easily on the jaguar than other spotted large cats, such as leopards or cheetahs.

The jaguar has a heavy-built body and a very powerful jaw which it uses to strike down its prey in one bite. The size of the jaguar depends on its environment. Those living in forested areas tend to be smaller than those living in open grasslands. Researchers have suggested the reason for this is the abundance of larger prey in the open terrain.

Lifespan

Jaguars generally live as long as 20 years in zoos.

Reproduction

Jaguars are solitary animals, only coming together to mate. A female's pregnancy lasts approximately 110. After giving birth to a litter of one to four cubs, the babies will remain inside their den for two weeks before beginning to explore the world outside. After a period of six months, they'll begin to hunt with their mother.

Behavior

Jaguars live most of their lives on their own. They enjoy hunting during the late night hours, climbing into trees to wait and pounce on their prey. Jaguars have been known to travel great distances to find food and if resources like food and water are plentiful enough, they can sustain a territory as large as three square miles..

Kon: Born at the Montgomery Zoo on June 29, 2005. Arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo on January 14,
     2006. He is a melanastic jaguar. Melanistic jaguars are often darker on the first half of the body,
     with the dark coloration lightening up as it moves down toward the tail, revealing the black
     rosettes that still appear in the coat. Kon, however, is exceptionally dark the entire length of his
     body.

Jutai: Wild born in Belize and found in a citrus orchard when he was about 4 months old. He was
brought to the Belize Zoo in March 2004 and arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo on April 17, 2007.
He is yellow with black rosettes.

Madera: Wild born in Guatemala around 1995. She was confiscated by the Guatemalan wildlife
     authority in 1997 from a market in Guatemala City where she was being illegally offered for sale.
     She was determined to be unreleasable and was placed at a wild animal rescue center before
     being transferred to La Aurora Zoo in 1998. She arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo on May 30, 2007.
     She is yellow with black rosettes.

Enrichment

Bank of America Big Cat Falls offers enrichment opportunities by design. Big cats can explore other cat habitats, pick up on the scents present, and mark territory.

Adoption Information

You can adopt a jaguar today!

https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/fcart/index.php?id=7_2_1&adopt=Jaguar

Featured Foster Parent

Thanks for participating and naming our jaguar Kon! He is a very focused and intense personality. He is quiet and watchful. It is amazing to watch him absorb what he sees around him. He does like to play and is serious about even that. Of the jaguars the Zoo has held in recent history, he seems to be the most comfortable with water, and it has become one of his favorite toys. There is a pool in his exhibit and like many of us, even on very hot days, he tests the temperature with his toes and then slowly sinks into the water. Kon is one of those individuals that are quite interested in what his keepers are doing. When he first was introduced to his new yard, he enjoyed it but was most comfortable when he was able to pop back into the building for a minute and “check” on the keepers.

Enrichment

Jaguars are considered to be an endangered species.

Bank of America Big Cat Falls will officially launch the Zoo's involvement in two significant field projects. Over the next five years, the Zoo will contribute nearly $250,000 to protect lions and jaguars in their native homes. For the jaguar that means Mexico, where the Zoo will support the Mexico Jaguar Project (MJP), an effort to protect key areas where jaguars live.

Decades after disappearing from the southwestern United States, jaguars are again being spotted in southern Arizona. These pioneer jaguars probably come from a population 120 miles to the south, near the junction of the Aros and Yaqui Rivers in the Mexican state of Sonora. Any future for jaguars in the U.S. depends on protecting jaguars in Mexico.

The MJP tackles jaguar conservation on three fronts--by increasing protection of important jaguar habitat, gathering vital data on jaguar life history and ecology and helping local people learn how valuable jaguars are to the region.

The Zoo's financial support will help purchase equipment for research, buy critical jaguar habitat lands from private landowners and develop educational materials for local people who live and work in jaguar areas. Members of the Zoo's animal programs, conservation and education departments will collaborate with researchers on data-collection and education efforts.

Zoo Research

Fun Facts

Where do Jaguars live?

Jaguars live anywhere between Northern Mexico and Patagonia (in South America). Also, as of 2001, there have been several confirmed sightings of jaguars in New Mexico and Arizona!

This is a habitat in Mexico that jaguars can be found in.

What is their habitat?

Jaguars prefer dense forests or swamps with good cover and easy access to water, but will live in habitats from rainforests to wet grasslands to arid scrub and deserts.

How long do they live?

Jaguars will usually live up to 22-25 years in the Zoo. Just like there are some people who live longer, though, there are some jaguars that can live to be older than 25 years! However, since jaguars are so secretive, we still aren't sure how long they live in the wild. Hey, future researchers, maybe that's something YOU will discover one day!

Who are their enemies?

Jaguars have to watch out for humans and crocodiles, their only enemies. Humans can be part of the solution, though! Find out how you can help jaguars!

How big do they get?

Male jaguars can weigh between 190-260lbs. – though some get as big as 300 lbs! Females are smaller, weighing 130-200 lbs.

What do Jaguars eat in the wild? How about in the Zoo?

In the wild, jaguars hunt peccaries, capybaras, crocodilians, caimans, tapirs, deer, monkeys, agoutis/rodents, sloths, birds, fish, turtles/turtle eggs, frogs, tortoises, and sometimes livestock.

In the Zoo, they eat ground beef and chicken supplemented with mineral mix and vitamins. As a special treat, they sometimes get a knucklebone to munch on.

How do they hunt?

Jaguars hunt at night, and use tactics like ambush and stalking. Like all other felines (except lions), jaguars hunt alone. They kill their prey by chomping into its neck with one bite! They might also try to cut off its air by gripping its throat. Ouch!

Why are some jaguars black?

Melanistic jaguars are not uncommon. In fact, melanism is inherited as a dominant gene. Melanism makes their fur black, kind of the way some people have brown or black hair. Since it is a "dominant gene," it is easily inherited. Even though they look solid black, you can still see the outline of their spots. Black jaguars are more often found in the most dense jungle regions because their dark color is adapted to living in darker areas of the forest – they can blend right in!

Want more? Here are some way cool facts about lions that might surprise you . . .

Jaguars' whisker patterns are unique for each cat, like a fingerprint on a human.
Their teeth and jaws are so developed that their bites are considered the most powerful of any cat, relative to size. They have 30 massive teeth!
The Aztecs had jaguar societies and celebrated warriors called the Jaguar Knights. Despite all the legends and symbolic art, jaguars are shy and secretive, and rarely attack humans.

Conservation

Jaguars are an endangered species — and they need our help! The Philadelphia Zoo is working hard to help the jaguars in Mexico — keep reading to find out what we're doing and what you can do to help!

How many jaguars are there in Mexico?

Very few jaguars are left in the world and fewer still in Mexico. In all of northern Mexico , there are only about 100 jaguars! The Mexico Jaguar Project protects these northern jaguars by buying land for them and paying Jaguar Guardians to protect them.

Why are jaguars in danger?

Imagine having a lion in your backyard. Could you learn to live with it? Cattle and other livestock (like goats) are very important to many farmers in Africa. For them, these animals are sources of food, money, and social status among their neighbors. Instead of having the lions drive out the farmers, or the farmers kill off the lions; they need to be able to find a way to live together.

Will jaguars ever come back to the United States?

More and more cattle ranchers are using up land where jaguars used to live. The ranchers are driving the jaguars' prey (like deer) out of the area, so the jaguars sometimes have to eat the cattle to survive. This angers the ranchers and puts their cattle in danger, so they kill the jaguars as soon as they see them. Also, the habitat of the jaguars is being destroyed, which is driving them away to search for

Will jaguars ever come back to the United States?

A long time ago, jaguars could be seen in the southwest U.S. However, hunters killed them for their pelts until there were no more left in the United States. Now, after many years, there have been some sightings of jaguars in the U.S. again! They have been spotted in Arizona and New Mexico! However, a giant fence between the U.S. and Mexico could stop their return.

A giant fence?

The U.S. government has passed a bill that will build a tall, strong double fence between the United States and Mexico. This is an important discussion in our country right now — this would be a good topic to talk to your parents and teachers about! The fence's purpose is to stop people who are not citizens from coming into the U.S. However, that is not all it will stop! Many animals, like jaguars, migrate along paths that will run right into the wall — now these animals won't be able to continue migrating! Jaguars will not be able to come back into the United States. But wait! It’s not a lost cause yet! If you feel strongly about this issue, you can write a letter to your senator or representative. Learn more about how to "Ask for Help the 'Write' Way".

What is the Philadelphia Zoo doing to protect the jaguars?

Mexico is the native home of both the ranchers and the jaguars, so they need to learn to coexist peacefully. This project is helping to protect jaguars in 3 different ways:

Researchers are observing and learning about jaguars. They use this knowledge to help educate the ranchers about jaguars and how to protect their cattle.
The Philadelphia Zoo is sending money to the researchers in Mexico. They use this money to buy land for the jaguars so that they will have a safe place to live.
The Zoo, along with many other organizations that care about jaguars, is working to find and protect the safest route for jaguars to take when they migrate north into the U.S. in order to create this safe path, researchers have been studying jaguars' movements using special tools called camera traps.

What's a camera trap?

Jaguars are nocturnal and secretive animals, which makes them very hard to find, even if you're looking for them. So, researchers set up camera traps to find out how many are living in a certain area. When a jaguar walks past a camera that’s tied to a tree, the camera will automatically take its picture! This way, researchers can look at the photos and keep track of where the jaguars are going and how many of them there are.

How can I help?

There are many ways that you can help! Keep reading to learn about a few.

Research Jaguars. Check out our book recommendations, and look for other books on jaguars at your local library. When you come to the Philadelphia Zoo, talk to the staff and docents by the jaguar's habitat! They have a lot of information to share! Ask questions about the jaguars at our Zoo, and about the jaguars in Mexico! The more you know about them, the more you can tell other people. Education and knowledge are the most important tools!

A wild jaguar in Belize taking a closer look at the camera traps!
Next time you come visit the Bank of America Big Cat Falls exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo, you can donate a dollar to Acres for Jaguars — this will help the Mexico Jaguar Project buy land in Mexico for the jaguars.
Researchers gain knowledge through observation — you can, too! Observe the wildlife that you see in your neighborhood. Observation is the most important part of research! Not sure how to get started or what to look for? Check out our tips in "My Nature List".
Just like the farmers in Mexico who are learning to live with the jaguars, you can learn to live with the wildlife in your neighborhood, too! It’s extra important that people in the United States learn how to live with wildlife, because some jaguars are starting to come back! Here's how you can get started on living with wildlife in your area.
- When you see litter on the ground, pick it up (make sure it's not sharp!) and throw it into a trashcan or recycle bin.
- If you have trashcans that stay outside, make sure they are always tightly covered so that they don’t attract wildlife.
- The Zoo is trying to create a safe place for jaguars to live — you can do the same! Plant trees or a garden as a safe habitat for birds and insects.
- These are only a few things — find out some more easy ways that YOU can protect wildlife and the environment.

Introductions

Kon was born on June 29, 2005, at the Montgomery Zoo in Alabama.

If you've seen him, you know he doesn’t have brown fur with black rosettes on it — instead, he's all black! This is called melanistic (mel-uh-nis-tic). BUT WAIT! Is he really solid black? Look closely at his fur when you come visit him — you might see the outline of the typical jaguar markings (rosettes) on him! These spots are just a little bit hidden by his black coat.

When Kon arrived, he was given plenty of time to adjust to his new home. Once he settled in, his keepers began to work with him to teach him how to step on and off a scale. His keepers weigh him on a regular basis and work with him to target and follow a Frisbee. This exercise helps get Kon's attention when his keepers want to take a closer look at him. It also makes it easier to move Kon into different habitats.

Kon's favorite toys are plastic things, like hard hats!

Like the other big cats, Kon has the opportunity to use an overhead tunnel system into other exhibits. He loves this, because it gives him a chance to smell the other cats and explore new territory!

Animal Lingo

Hola! In Mexico , where the Philadelphia Zoo's jaguar conservation project is, most people speak a language called Spanish. Many people in the United States can also speak this language — in fact, you may have heard one or two of these words before! Learn to pronounce these words, then teach your friends, family, and teachers how to say hello in a new language!

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Hello	Hola	Oh-lah
How are you?	¿Cómo estas?	Koh-moh eh-stahs
I'm fine.	Estoy bien.	Eh-stoy bee-ehn
Good-bye	Adios	Ah-dee-ohs
Please	Por favor	Por fah-vor
Thank you	Gracias	Grah-see-ahs
You're welcome	De nada	Day nah-dah
What's your name?	¿Cómo te llamas?	Koh-moh teh yah-mahs
My name is _____	Me llamo _____	Meh yah-moh _____
Family	Familia	Fa-mee-lee-ah
Friend	Amigo	Ah-mee-goh
Jaguar	Jaguar	Hog-war
Habitat	Hábitat	Ah-bee-that
Jungle	Selva	Sell-vah
Endangered	En peligro	En pel-ee-grow
Mexico	México	Meh-hee-co
Rancher	Ranchero	Ran-cheh-roh
Cattle	Ganados	Gan-ah-dos
Nocturnal	Nocturno	Nock-toor-no
Conservation	Conservación	Con-ser-vas-ee-ohn
Predator	Depredador	Deh-pred-ah-dor
Prey	Presa	Press-ah
Spots	Mancha	Mahn-cha
Black	Negro	Neg-ro
Growl	Gruñido	Groon-yee-doh

Want More?

Jaguars are tough to spot in the wild — and even harder to find in books! Here are a few non-fiction books about jaguars that you can check out at your local library!

Wild Cats: Jaguars by Anne Welsbacher
Did you know that a jaguar can pull a dead animal that weighs more than itself? This is a great book of facts about jaguars, and has a ton of incredible pictures of jaguars in their natural habitat in South and Central America.

Big Cats: Jaguars by Don Middleton
This is also a really good book of facts with some more awesome pictures. This book also talks about how people around the world are trying to save the jaguars from extinction.

Jaguars: Animals of the Rain Forest by Pat Lalley
Take a trip to the rain forest in this book to learn how jaguars survive in their habitat!

Jaguars: The Untamed World by Melanie Watt
Learn facts about jaguars' bodies, habitats, life with humans, and endangered status in this book.

Keep looking for books about jaguars! If you find one that you like, email us the title so we can share that book with other kids. And you know what? One day YOU might research jaguars and write your own book about them!