ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – Over the summer, the Alexandria Zoo welcomed a new addition.
A baby jaguar was born on July 31, 2025.
We don’t know the baby jaguar’s name or gender yet, but it’s getting ready for its public debut at the zoo.
First, let’s get a little history on how this cub came into the world.
The cubs’ parents are Philly and Bebu.
Bebu, the father, is from the wilds of Panama, and Philly was born in captivity.
“We’ve been trying for 9 years to have this cub born,” said Director of the Alexandria Zoo Landon Proctor. “We’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting, and honestly, we also kind of gave up hope that it would ever happen. We were pleasantly surprised when we found a cub was born on July 31. We were not expecting it. The mother did not show signs of pregnancy. Oftentimes, wild animals and big carnivores mostly will hide pregnancy. They’ll hide it from us so that we can’t see it.”
A staff member was making daily rounds when they noticed that Philly had given birth.
After that, they were able to quickly go inside to check on Mom and her new addition.
“Then we made the decision to let it be raised by its mom, which really shows the quality of care the animals receive here at the Alexandria Zoo,” Proctor said. “That our mom was in a careful and comfortable enough environment, a safe environment, and a healthy environment to be able to raise her own cub, completely healthy all the way up until now, where the cub is starting to be a little bit more active in a little bit more on its own and starting to show signs of independence.”
Everyone loves a baby animal, even the zoo.
They can increase attendance with their cuteness, but more importantly, they help the zoo teach the community more about the animal and continue spreading their message.
“To talk about conservation of habitats across the world and the destruction of habitats, and it’s important to remind people that’s what we’re here for,” Proctor said. “For us, a baby captures the attention, and we’re able to educate people a little bit more.”
This cub is extra special because the jaguar is the face of the Alexandria Zoo.
“It’s built into our logo,” Proctor said. “We all wear it on our clothes every day. It’s on hats and merchandise, and when I go out to the grocery store, I see people wearing jaguars on them because they’re wearing Alexandria Zoo merchandise because of how proud they are of our zoo. There’s nothing that punctuates how great the work we do here is than having a baby jaguar to showcase exactly the kind of work that we are doing.”
Proctor doesn’t know when the next baby will be born.
All of the zoos’ breeding animals are on the Species Survival Plan, and all breeding is decided globally to ensure the genetic line of animals will continue throughout the years.
Bebu and Philly will most likely breed again, but it will take a few years for them to be ready.
Your chance to find out the cub’s name and gender is coming up.
This Friday, November 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., there’s a members-only event to get a sneak peek, and the next day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the community is invited to the official debut.
“Then on Saturday, the next day, the entire public is welcome to come visit the zoo that day,” Proctor said. “Regular admission, no extra charges, you just pay admission and come on in. We’re going to have an extra party from 11 to 1, where we have treats for people, and we’ll have a little celebration with some music and really celebrate the birth of our baby jaguar.”
Philly and her cub will be able to move freely between their indoor and outdoor areas.
Because the family has free choice to move around their habitat, the Alexandria Zoo cannot guarantee a view of the cub.
What do you think the baby jaguar’s gender will be? Vote in our poll below and let us know what you think!
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