SAN ANTONIO – Two jaguar cubs were born Tuesday at the San Antonio Zoo, making the cubs the first significant births of its species at the zoo since 1974, officials said.
The new additions were born to mother Arizona and fathered by B'alam, which is pronounced Bah-lam.
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San Antonio Zoo officials said this was the first successful birth for the pair and was in conjunction with the Jaguar Species Survival Plan, which manages species in Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The cubs will add genetic diversity to the Jaguar SSP in AZA zoos.
Both parents are 3 years old and were paired at the zoo two years ago as part of the SSP program, officials said. B'alam is from the Milwaukee County Zoo in Wisconsin and Arizona is from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
"At this time, mom and cubs are doing great. The cubs are doing what most newborns do -- lots of sleeping and eating. We are looking forward to introducing them to our zoo guests in the next few months," Executive Director and CEO Tim Morrow said. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Jaguar SSP and very optimistic about the new additions to the jaguar population."
Zookeepers are using an internal monitoring cam to keep an eye on the mother and jaguar cubs inside their behind-the-scenes maternity den. Officials said the cubs will not be available for public viewing, but updates on their status will be posted on the zoo's Facebook page.