Birth of Jaguar Cubs Adds to Mexican Zoo's Record with Endangered Felines

Jaguar cub born in the Zoologico Centenario of Merida, Mexico. (EFE)

Three jaguars and two lions were born at the Centenario Zoo in Merida, the capital of the southeastern Mexican state of Yucatan, the city government said.

The zoo, where three Bengal tigers were born in July, has once again shown that it is "a center for the reproduction of felines in danger of extinction," the Merida city government said in a statement.

The cubs - a male and two female jaguars, and two male lions - are all "in good health," the statement said.

The jaguars were born on Aug. 1 and the lions on Sept. 7, and all the cubs were presented to the public on Tuesday during a visit to the zoo by Merida Mayor Angelica Araujo.

"In just two months and seven days, we managed the reproduction of eight felines, an achievement that stands out in the country's and the world's zoological annals," veterinarian Luis Solis, who is in charge of the Merida parks and recreation department, said.

Felines have found the necessary conditions at Centenario Zoo for reproduction, enjoying a stress-free habitat and the food recommended by specialists, Solis said.

Stress makes felines change their behavior, "delaying ovulation, causing spontaneous abortions and reducing fertility, thus making reproduction in captivity an extraordinary achievement," Dulce Maria Brousset, the zoo's feline specialist, said.
The jaguar triplets - two black and one spotted - are the second litter born to Yuma, who was born at the zoo three years ago.
Jaguars, Mexico's national cat, can weigh up to 150 kilos (330 pounds) and have "the most powerful jaw structure of all felines," the zoo said.