Rare Black Jaguar Cub Born in Baby Boom at Zacango Zoo in Mexico Mark Morris - ITNNews
go to original October 11, 2013

Zacango zoo, near Mexico City, is celebrating the addition of two young jaguars, including a female born in May and a rare melanistic, or 'black' male jaguar born in August. Report by Mark Morris. (ITNNews)

Jaguars are already one of the world's most endangered species, but one of the two cubs on display at Zacango Zoo in Mexico is even more rare because it is melanistic. That means the animal appears completely black, although you can actually see spots if you look carefully. The two cubs were bred from different mothers and they're the first of their kind to be born at the zoo for a decade.

Still too fragile to wander freely around the zoo's jaguar enclosure with their parents, the two cubs currently receive round-the-clock care from keepers, who give the furry felines a specialist diet of milk, chicken and calcium supplements. Once revered by pre-Colombian cultures, Mexican jaguars now face possible extinction because of a loss of habitat and human demand for jaguar fur.

Zacango zoo also celebrated the birth of a hippopotamus and giraffe as part of its successful breeding program. Counting the newest addition, 17 giraffes have been born since 1990, and the birth of a baby Nile hippo born on August 17 makes it the 15th born at the zoo so far.

A drawing contest is being held by the zoo to help name the new baby giraffe. (Andrea Lilly/ITNNews)

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!