We are so excited to announce that our resident jaguars Kumal and Kedera, became grandparents! They are currently holidaying at The Big Cat Sanctuary while we build their new bespoke habitat Jaguar Jungle.
Their daughter, Keira, gave birth to a beautiful rare black jaguar last month at our sister charity The Big Cat Sanctuary and we could not be proud of these 3 generations of jaguar. Keira was actually born here at Paradise Wildlife Park in 2017 and was moved to The Big Cat Sanctuary in 2019 as part of the International Breeding Programme. Here she was paired with the incredible male black jaguar: Neron. The couple immediately stole the hearts of the Sanctuary and the public with their clear love and affection towards each other.
Sanctuary Keepers began to spot signs of pregnancy in Keira around 3-4 weeks before the birth and in just a few months after, Keira became mum to a feisty and playful black jaguar cub. The cub has clearly inherited her father’s melanistic gene, which is a genetic trait that only affects 10% of all wild jaguars. She truly is such a special girl!
Cub is being referred to as ‘baby’ for now as the Sanctuary are leaving it down to their supporters to name this adorable bundle of fluff. For now, cub and Keira will stay in their den as the cub awaits important vaccinations and begins to familiarise herself with the keepers. The Sanctuary remains optimistic that by their August Open Days, the cub will be ready to visit.
Kumal and Kedera are Paradise Wildlife Park visitor favourites, and they are currently having a holiday at The Big Cat Sanctuary while we prepare their new home Jaguar Jungle. We are incredibly proud of Kumal and Kedera for starting such a healthy bloodline of captive jaguars. Keira has taken on her mother’s maternal nature as she is often seen grooming, cuddling, and playing about with her cub. However, this lineage is not just crucial for our parks, but also for global conservation efforts. By housing healthy and genetically diverse jaguar species in captivity, we can help ensure the future of their species.
In an ideal world, we would say there would be no need for zoos. However, we live in a world where jaguars’ natural habitat is constantly at threat from negative human impacts, such as mass deforestation, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict. Jaguars are classed by the IUCN as ‘Near Threatened’. This means that wild jaguars are declining in their natural habitat.
Good zoos in the UK and across the world are there to help educate their public about these threats wildlife face in an attempt to inspire a united front to protect our planet’s species. We hope that Kumal, Kedera, Keira, her cub, and all cats at The Big Cat Sanctuary will spark that joy and wonder that is so important for conservation.
Please welcome Kumal and Kedera’s granddaughter into the world and get excited for all cub updates on our social media.
