Northeast Florida’s #1 attraction seeking name suggestions from the public 

The newest resident at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is still in need of a name. The Zoo announced today an opportunity for the public to choose the name for its male jaguar cub born on April 7, 2023. Beginning Wednesday, June 21, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will be soliciting names from the public in a week-long naming contest in partnership with the Jaguars Foundation.

From June 21 – 28, members of the Jacksonville community and general public will be invited to submit suggested names for a $5 donation per submission at www.jacksonvillezoo.org/NameThatJag . It costs over $10,000 annually to provide annual medical exams and feed the jaguars at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens so the Jaguars Foundation is matching up to $10,000 in donations through the naming contest.

 “The Jaguars Foundation is overjoyed to welcome a new big cat to our team here in Jacksonville,” said Jaguars Chief Community Impact Officer Whitney Meyer. “The new jaguar cub is undoubtedly one of the cutest additions to our roster, and we are proud to support the zoo in caring for him and his family in the form of a matching donation. We can’t wait to hear the name suggestions that come from our fans!”

Names will only be accepted online by way of donations to support the Zoo’s mission to connect communities with wildlife and wild places. The names chosen as finalists will go to a public poll in a one-day social media vote to determine the winner on Thursday, June 29.

Born to first-time parents, mother, Babette, and father, Harry, the cub is the first jaguar born at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in nearly a decade. Not yet on exhibit, the cub continues to bond well with mom behind-the-scenes. Until certain milestones are reached, a video stream of the cub den will be shown at the Zoo’s Range of the Jaguar exhibit, allowing visitors to follow the cub as it grows.

“We are extremely pleased with how well Babette has bonded with the new cub,” said Kelly Rouillard, Director of Marketing and Sales at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. “We want to share our excitement with guests, and this naming contest is a great way for us to engage the community and bring them on the cub’s journey.”

Humans are the biggest danger to jaguar survival. Unfortunately, jaguars continue to lose habitat range to humans and only one male jaguar has been spotted in the wild in North America in recent years. Jaguars are listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.  Learn more about how Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is helping to support jaguar conservation and reducing human-to-jaguar conflicts in this blog.

View photos and video of the unnamed jaguar cub HERE.

The public can watch mom and cub on video at the Range of the Jaguar exhibit.  Admission tickets can be purchased at jacksonvillezoo.org.

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ABOUT JACKSONVILLE ZOO AND GARDENS
For over 100 years, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has aimed to inspire the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experiences in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection of one red deer fawn, the Zoo now has more than 2,000 rare and exotic animals and 1,000 species of plants, boasting the largest botanical garden in Northeast Florida. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is a nonprofit organization and a portion of every ticket sold goes to the over 45 conservation initiatives Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens supports around the world, and here in NE Florida. JZG is proud to be an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information, visit jacksonvillezoo.org.

ABOUT THE JAGUARS FOUNDATION
The Jaguars Foundation and Community Impact Department are committed to uplifting the Northeast Florida community and beyond by providing economic and equal opportunity through programs that strengthen our neighborhoods and develop our youth. The Community Impact team at the Jaguars annually targets three key strategic areas of focus: neighborhood revitalization, youth development and NFL league-wide initiatives.  The Jaguars and the Khan Family have always been strong supporters of our Jacksonville community and have donated $22 million since 2012 through the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation in support of many worthy causes, including $1 million in 2021 in support of the revitalization of Jacksonville’s historic OUTEAST neighborhood. 

 

Media Contact:

Marketing Department

marketing@jacksonvillezoo.org