YEREVAN. – The Armenian capital city Yerevan Zoo has acquired a new “resident;” a three-year-old male jaguar (Panthera onca).
The jaguar was obtained within the framework of the memorandum of understanding that was signed between the zoos of Yerevan and Georgian capital city Yerevan, Armenian News-NEWS.am ascertained from the Yerevan Zoo official website.
This predator is listed in the IUCN Red list of Threatened species as “Near threatened.” Jaguars are the only species of panthera found in the Americas. Once the range of this big predator included the United States but it was hunted to extinction there in the early 20th century. Today the largest strong hold of the Jaguar lies in Central America, but the numbers of the animal are declining swiftly due to habitat destruction and poaching.
The jaguar is the third largest feline after Tiger and Lion. In its behavior the jaguar resembles more the tiger – for example like tigers also jaguars love to swim just contrary to leopards, which do everything to avoid water. Nevertheless jaguars and leopards are often confused with one another in zoos. The difference lies in the center of the Jaguar’s rosettes, because unlike the leopard, the Jaguar has spots inside of its rosettes. The jaguar is also much stockier than the mostly slightly build leopard. With their large belly, shorter legs and tail jaguars have more a pit bull type appearance.
The jaguar is strictly protected across all countries where it occurs and is also listed in CITES (the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) which Armenia signed on to in 2009. Hence the import of the jaguar from Georgia to Armenia was organized in accordance with all necessary procedures, by presenting all required veterinary certificates and by following all provisions of the CITES regulations, custom clearance, husbandry, etc.
Yerevan Zoo highly values the proper implementation of the CITES Convention’s provisions as this is crucial tool to protect rare and endangered species globally as well as in Armenia.
