An unusual cat was born at the Big Cat Sanctuary, located in Kent, England. The jaguar cub surprised the sanctuary staff because it had a completely black coat, very rare among the animals of the species.
Named temporarily “baby” (baby, in English), the dark-colored puppy remains in the presence of his parents, Keira and Neron. Although the little feline has a distinctive appearance, it is possible that he inherited the characteristic of his parent, who is also a black jaguar (Panthera onca).
Breeding is part of Europe’s Endangered Species Breeding Program, as the Daily Mail stated.
Only 10% of the jaguars are affected by the change in color and have dark hairs, while 90% contain distinct spots, characteristic of the species.
“On the morning of April 6, we could see that Keira was restless and agitated and we knew that she had started to go into labor,” Briony Smith, curator of the Big Cat Sanctuary, told the Daily Mail. “This beautiful little girl was born at 11:10 am and has been growing stronger ever since.”
Smith further explained the current situation of jaguars around the world. “The jaguar is listed as ‘Nearly Threatened’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, although its status is under review and could be elevated to ‘Vulnerable’ next year.”
For this reason, the programs for the breeding of the species are so esteemed, carrying out an intense work for the preservation of animals that are targets of hunting and human conflicts, as is the case of the jaguar.
View this photo on Instagram
