The Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, Texas, announced the Aug. 20 birth of an endangered jaguar species as part of the Species Survival Plan breeding program.
The male cub, who has not yet been put on display, has been given the name Balam, which is Mayan for jaguar. The animal weighed 1.6 pounds at the time of birth, but has since grown to about 2 pounds, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.
Balam's parents are 8-year-old Seraphina and 3-year-old Kabah. The newborn had to be removed from his mother though, and zoo staff is taking care of him due to "health concerns," according to a statement posted by the zoo.
"Balam is thriving under the care of keepers at the Ellen Trout Zoo. Every day he is more coordinated, more active, more aware of his surroundings — all those developmental steps you expect with a baby," the zoo announced on its Facebook page, where they will be posting pictures of the jaguar cub from time to time so that everyone can watch him grow.
Jaguars have been declared as Near Threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
