A pair of healthy jaguar cubs was born at a zoo in Florida on Jan. 27. Brevard Zoo welcomed the new arrivals to 11-year-old mom, Masaya, and 13-year-old first-time dad, Mulac, according to ZooBorns.
Since Mulac's genes are now represented in the jaguar population with the birth of the cubs, they are a special addition to jaguars in captivity. The birth was monitored by a camera installed in the den. The cubs are nursing and Masaya seems to be a very attentive mother, according to ZooBorns.
The cubs will remain in the den for another three weeks and they won't be on exhibit until they are about 3 or 4 months old. Zookeepers do not know the sex of the cubs yet. Their growth will be monitored by weight and photo documentation, according to ZooBorns.
"We are very excited with Masaya and Mulac's new additions and look forward to them being out for guests to see," said Curator of Animals Kerry Sweeney, according to ZooBorns.
It is difficult to determine solid estimates of wild jaguar population, since they tend not to live in dense groups and they are on the move a lot, but estimated figures suggest jaguars have lost 50 percent of their habitat in the last decade. Jaguars are typically found in forests and swamps in Central and South America.
