On The Cover A Bundle Of Jaguar Joy Real life
The Sanctuary breeding programme – and this precious little cub – is the hope for the future of this endangered species
The birth of an adorable black jaguar cub has brought love and joy to The Big Cat Sanctuary in
Kent after a difficult year of lockdown. The female cub was born on April 6 to mum, Keira, an elegant golden jaguar, and dad, Neron, a majestic black jaguar.
This is the first time a jaguar cub has been born at the sanctuary, a triumph of the meticulous breeding programme. Black jaguars are rare – only 10% in the wild are black. Most jaguars are golden with distinctive rosette markings. The cub’s glossy black coat is due to melanistic genetics, explains Curator, Briony Smith, who’s been at the sanctuary since 2005. “The cub got her dad’s genes,” says Briony. “As she grows you will see the rosette markings in her dark fur.”
For now, the sweet little cub is being called Baby until she receives her official name. Pretty Baby has dazzling blue eyes which will later turn amber. She’s curious, playful and growing fast.
Briony shares the birth story. “Keira kept us waiting, she was two days overdue. The keepers were privileged to watch the birth on cameras in the den. It was nervewracking as I carefully monitored Keira to make sure she was cleaning, feeding and bonding with her baby.
“Keira is four years old and this is her first cub, but her maternal instincts are perfect. She’s affectionate and nurturing but like all new mums she’s learning as she goes. She had to figure out she had to feed her baby lying down, not sitting up!
“The chubby cub was born with her eyes wide open and is developing rapidly. She was walking confidently in just two weeks! Baby is now incredibly active. Keira will go outside for some ‘me time’ while we babysit giving mum a well-deserved break!”
Briony explains, “Jaguars usually have two to four cubs. As an only cub without siblings Baby wants to
play with her mum constantly. Keira plays rough but when she gets bored she will languish on a high platform with her tail hanging down. Baby tries to catch her twitching tail! It’s really funny to watch!”
This is the second time Briony has cared for newborn big cats. In 2019 she managed the breeding, birth and upbringing of twin Snow leopard cubs, Khumbu and Koshi. My Weekly readers will recall the story published in February 2020. Briony says the handsome brothers are thriving.
The Big Cat Sanctuary, founded in 2000 on a 32-acre site in the heart of rural Kent is home to more than 40 cats of 14 species like African Lions, Amur Leopards, and Sumatran Tigers. But the regal Jaguars are currently stealing the spotlight with a total of eight gracing the luxurious enclosures.
Keira’s parents, Kumal and Kedera, Baby’s grandparents, are holidaying at the Kent sanctuary while their habitat at Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire is being rebuilt, meaning three generations are together. And two elderly female Jaguars, Athena and Sofia are long-time residents while four-year old Maya is a popular celebrity. BBC viewers watched the antics of little Maya on Big Cats About the House with Giles Clark.
Neron and Keira enjoyed a giddy romance when introduced to each other in the new Jaguar Breeding Enclosure in 2019. “He is a timid and gentle character. She’s a real energetic live wire. He was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do with her exuberance,” says Briony. “But they clicked and would groom each other and smooch all day. Jaguars are affectionate and closely bonded in captivity with full bellies and no competition for food or mates.”
The couple’s strong bond resulted in a successful mating and the birth of Baby. Now Keira has gone from impeccably grooming Neron to lavishing her cub with licks of affection. Even though Jaguars are a solitary species in the wild, wandering off alone when mature, Briony and her team are considering allowing Keira, Neron and
Baby to live as a family group. So far Dad has been keeping his distance from the tiny cub as they observe each other with mutual admiration.
Briony says, “I watch them having staring competitions. They are in awe of each other, like Neron’s thinking, ‘Wow, she’s really small’ and Baby’s thinking, ‘Wow, he’s really big’! Their blossoming relationship is just delightful.”
The Sanctuary breeding programme gives hope to protecting the species classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN red list. Precious little Baby will grow to have babies of her own ensuring Jaguars survive the human brutalities that threaten them.
In contrast, animal lovers can support the Sanctuary’s devotion to protecting these awe-inspiring big cats, as a force for good.
The Sanctuary’s devotion to protecting these big cats is a force for good
Visit THEBIGCATSANCTUARY.ORG for more information.