Jaguars at San Diego Zoo Receive Early Valentine’s Day Treat

Jaguars at San Diego Zoo Receive Early Valentine’s Day Treat:
Heart-Shaped “Bloodsicles”

2013-02-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — The jaguar family at the San Diego Zoo received the ‘purr-fect’ gesture of love from their keepers this morning: an early Valentine’s Day gift in the form of heart-shaped bloodsicles. Five-year-old Nindiri licked and savored her delectable treat made of frozen beef blood, beef hearts and pieces of meat.

Nindiri and her two 10-month-old cubs, Tikal and Maderas, received the frozen Valentines as a special enrichment. Enrichment is important for the cats, as it keeps the animals stimulated and active, allowing them to show their natural behaviors.

Jaguars are the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere and the third largest of the world’s cats. Unfortunately, demand for the jaguar’s beautiful rosette-covered fur is one of the reasons this species is endangered. In addition, loss of habitat and human-jaguar conflicts has reduced populations of jaguars throughout their range from North America through South America.

CONTACT:   SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL
PUBLIC RELATIONS
619-685-3291
WEBSITE:    www.sandiegozoo.org

Photo taken on Feb. 13, 2013, by Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo.

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