In November, Woodland Park Zoo celebrated the birth of quadruplet African lions, and the following month, twin sloth bears. Now the zoo is heralding another rare birth: triplet jaguars born over the weekend. The last birth of jaguars at the zoo was in 1994.
The mother, 7-year-old Nayla, gave birth after a gestation period of approximately 96 days. It is the first offspring for Nayla and the 14-year-old father, Junior. Nayla gave birth in August but the cub was stillborn. The sex of the three cubs is unknown at this time.
The mom and cubs are off public exhibit in a maternity den to allow the new family to bond in a quiet, comfortable environment. Animal management staff is closely monitoring the litter through a web cam to ensure the mom is providing attentive maternal care and the cubs are nursing sufficiently. Female jaguars can have up to four cubs but usually give birth to two.
“The first few days are critical, especially for a first-time mom,” explained Mark Myers, a curator at the zoo, “but I’m happy to report that each of the cubs is nursing and showing excellent mobility. We will keep a close eye on the cubs over the next few months for continuing signs of normal behavior and development.”
The cubs and the mother will remain off view for at least a few months until they are coordinated enough to navigate the outdoor exhibit. The father is on exhibit in the Jaguar Cove. Stay tuned to Woodland Park Zoo’s blog as updated images and video are made available at www.zoo.org/blog.
