Sarah Skelton
Jaguar
Chester Zoo's Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit is home to five magnificent Jaguars. Their rainforest and savannah-themed enclosures replicate the range of habitats occupied by Jaguars in the wild.
Providing the animals with such stimulating environments promotes natural behaviours like climbing, stalking and swimming - which they especially enjoy!
Jaguars’ coats are usually golden with an intricate pattern of black spots, ringed by dark rosettes. ‘Melanistic’ Jaguar, Pele, has an increased amount of dark pigmentation, making his fur black. If you look closely, you can still the typical rosette markings on Pele’s coat.
To further encourage their Jaguars to behave naturally, keepers provide a variety of environmental enrichment including scent trails, scatter feeds, climbing poles, and hiding food (such as chicken, rabbit, beef or fish) around their enclosures. Wild Jaguars are opportunistic hunters, preying on a wide variety of mammals, reptiles and fish.
Cattle-ranching now dominates much of the Jaguars savannah habitats, where they have adapted to prey on domestic cattle - unfortunately bringing them into direct conflict with farmers.
Chester Zoo’s Jaguar and People Conservation Programme works to address human-Jaguar conflict and we also provide grants each year to support various Jaguar conservation projects.
Species Information
Where they live: Central and South America – from Mexico to Argentina.
Habitat: Lush rainforest, swamplands, scrubland, savannas. They always live within easy access of water.
Size:
Length (including tail): up to 241cm Shoulder height: up to 76cm
Weight: 85– 158kg
Conservation status: IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
Threats: Hunting for their pelts for the fur trade and by farmers in retaliation for attacks on livestock. Habitat loss and deforestation due to agricultural and urban development. Such developments also have an impact on jaguar food sources, reducing the amount of prey available.
Jaguar
Chester Zoo's Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit is home to five magnificent Jaguars. Their rainforest and savannah-themed enclosures replicate the range of habitats occupied by Jaguars in the wild.
Providing the animals with such stimulating environments promotes natural behaviours like climbing, stalking and swimming - which they especially enjoy!
Jaguars’ coats are usually golden with an intricate pattern of black spots, ringed by dark rosettes. ‘Melanistic’ Jaguar, Pele, has an increased amount of dark pigmentation, making his fur black. If you look closely, you can still the typical rosette markings on Pele’s coat.
To further encourage their Jaguars to behave naturally, keepers provide a variety of environmental enrichment including scent trails, scatter feeds, climbing poles, and hiding food (such as chicken, rabbit, beef or fish) around their enclosures. Wild Jaguars are opportunistic hunters, preying on a wide variety of mammals, reptiles and fish.
Cattle-ranching now dominates much of the Jaguars savannah habitats, where they have adapted to prey on domestic cattle - unfortunately bringing them into direct conflict with farmers.
Chester Zoo’s Jaguar and People Conservation Programme works to address human-Jaguar conflict and we also provide grants each year to support various Jaguar conservation projects.
Species Information
Where they live: Central and South America – from Mexico to Argentina.
Habitat: Lush rainforest, swamplands, scrubland, savannas. They always live within easy access of water.
Size:
Length (including tail): up to 241cm Shoulder height: up to 76cm
Weight: 85– 158kg
Conservation status: IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
Threats: Hunting for their pelts for the fur trade and by farmers in retaliation for attacks on livestock. Habitat loss and deforestation due to agricultural and urban development. Such developments also have an impact on jaguar food sources, reducing the amount of prey available.