Mexican zoo welcomes baby big cats

Friday October 11, 2013

Crowds were delighted as five baby big cats made their public debut at a Mexican zoo earlier this week.

Zacango zoo, near Meixco City, is celebrating the addition of two young jaguars, including a female born in May and a rare melanistic, or 'black' male jaguar born in August.

As one of the world's most endangered species, the new jaguars are being closely watched and cared for by the zoo's keepers, who feed the cubs a specialist diet of chicken, milk and calcium supplements.

'For ten years we haven't registered a birth of this very important species. It's a Mexican species in danger of extinction and fortunately this year, finally, they were successfully bred. It's something extremely important for the zoo,' Zacango zoo coordinator Ana Sofia Manzur said.

Manzur and her team also welcomed three African lion cubs from the government's environmental department, Profepa.

All five cubs were created via artificial reproduction methods and are in perfect health, according to Ms Manzur.

The zoo has announced a competition to name their newest feline members.

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