Alexandria Zoo’s new jaguar cub holds hope for species
A jaguar cub born July 31 at the Alexandria Zoological Park holds hope for its species, which is listed as “near threatened.”
The Alexandria Zoological Park has announced its jaguar cub, born July 31, is a girl, and her name is Solana.
The cub makes her public debut this weekend, beginning Friday for Friends of the Alexandria Zoo (FOTAZ). The rest of the public will be able to catch a glimpse of her starting on Saturday.
But be warned! Actually seeing Solana or her mother, Philly, depends on whether they want to go outside, according to the zoo.
“Because the family has free choice to move around their habitat, we cannot guarantee a view of the cub. However, this is your first chance to see the new addition,” reads a post on the zoo’s Facebook page.
Solana’s birth marked a milestone for her species. Her father, Bebu, was born in the wild in Panama in 2011. But he and his brother were orphaned after their mother was killed by hunters.
They were 4 months old. The effort to save them meant they couldn’t be released back to the wild. Bebu arrived in Alexandria in 2013.
But he didn’t produce a cub until after Philly arrived in 2022, and it was a surprise for everyone. Big cats will hide anything that can make them seem vulnerable, said Zoo Director Landon Proctor, and it wasn’t until a day or two before the birth that staff suspected something with up with her.
“A couple days before, she wasn’t doing some of her behaviors. We started to think, well, maybe there’s something going on with her, but we didn’t think necessarily pregnancy,” said Proctor in a Town Talk interview. “And then, boom, baby was born, which was exciting. Great surprise for us all. We’ve been trying for a long time.”
A zoo volunteer was the first to spot Solana after her birth.
On Saturday, the zoo opens at 9 a.m. Last entry is at 4:30 p.m. There will be free birthday cake, provided by Atwood’s Bakery, beginning at 11 a.m. until it’s all gone.
