International Jaguar Day 2021
Today is International Jaguar Day!
Reid Park Zoo is home to Bella, a 12-year-old female jaguar. We were chosen by the jaguar Species Survival Plan to be a home for Bella because of her challenging history of allergies. Our world-class veterinary care and naturally dry climate help us provide the best home and care for this special cat!
Our climate is actually so perfect for jaguars that they are found here in the wild! Did you know that several wild jaguars have been documented living in southern Arizona in recent years? Just like all wild jaguars, these cats face threats from habitat loss, disease, poaching, and ecosystem changes caused by climate change.
Your support of Reid Park Zoo helps protect wild jaguars! We have partnered with the University of Arizona and are helping fund the 2021 study Comparative Genomics for the Conservation of the Jaguar in Arizona, US, and Sonora, Mexico. This study will sequence the genomes of three Sonoran jaguars to investigate potential genetic traits that make our local jaguar population specially adapted to hot, dry, climates. This study could confirm that jaguars in this region are a unique population, having genes not found in jaguars living in other habitats. The results from this study could aid in the management and conservation of the Sonoran jaguar. Thank you for helping us protect jaguars!