Jaguars: Audubon Zoo - New Orleans, LA

Meet Jaguars at Audubon Zoo

The jaguar is the third largest cat in the world, with a stare like no other. Come meet the jaguars of Audubon and learn more about how these fierce and beautiful cats survive in Central and South American tropical forests.

Jaguar Fast Facts

Conservation Status: Near Threatened - potential threat of extinction
Habitat/Range: Tropical forests of Central and South America
Diet: Carnivore—peccaries, deer, and other varied prey
Size: 5–6 ft long, 150–300 lbs
Lifespan: 11–12 years in the wild; 20+ years in human care
Social Structure: Solitary
Fun Fact: Jaguars are excellent swimmers.

Valerio

Male; likes to keep an eye on keepers.

Melanistic jaguars look like black panthers with barely visible rosettes.

Leopards have spots; jaguars have rosettes.

Reina

Female; likes to keep an eye on guests.

Jaguar Habitat & Range

Jaguars once roamed as far north as southern Arizona and New Mexico but now occupy more limited range in Central and South America.

Learn More About Jaguar Habitat & Range

Historic vs. Current Range
Historically, jaguars ranged from the southwestern U.S. through Mexico and Central America into northern South America. Today, these big cats inhabit less than half of their historic range, with the largest distribution occurring in the Amazon Basin.

Habitat
Jaguars prefer dense, tropical forest with plenty of cover, plenty of prey, and access to water. They may also occupy swamps and open floodplains but avoid arid areas.

Jaguar Behavior

Wherever they roam, jaguars rule. They are dominant predators in forest and floodplain ecosystems.

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Hunting
Jaguars are powerfully built predators that rely on stealth to catch a meal. They stalk their prey and then pounce, using dense undergrowth for cover. After making a kill, they may drag a carcass up a tree to safeguard it for later consumption.

Jaguars prefer large prey such as peccaries and deer that will fully satisfy their hunger. However, these cats are opportunistic hunters that will eat whatever they can catch, including caimans, turtles, fish, birds, and other animals of varying size.

Resting
Jaguars rest during the heat of the day and prowl at dawn, dusk, and night. They often appear near water and are excellent swimmers. They rest in caves, under thick vegetation or large rocks, or near riverbanks. They rarely go up a tree to nap, other than during seasonal flooding.

Socializing (or not)
Jaguars are solitary cats that must patrol large territories to find sufficient prey. Adult males tend to roam twice as far and wide as adult females. When more than one jaguar is spotted, it is almost certainly a female and her cubs. Females usually give birth to two cubs at a time and will keep those cubs close for about two years, caring for them and teaching them everything they need to know to survive on their own.

Jaguar Conservation

A trifecta of conservation actions will ensure the survival of jaguars long-term: protecting habitat, reducing poaching, and promoting human-wildlife co-existence.

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Threats
Jaguars are officially protected in every one of their home countries, but this does not necessarily guarantee their safety. These big cats are threatened throughout most of their range by poaching, persecution, and habitat loss. When other prey is scarce and when opportunity presents itself, jaguars sometimes target livestock. This leads to conflict with ranchers, who will kill the big cats to avenge or avert a potential incident.

Conservation Efforts
People, organizations, and governments working to protect jaguars agree on the trifecta of conservation actions needed: protecting habitat, reducing poaching, and changing attitudes. Jaguars do not stay still; they roam. By linking fragmented patches of habitat and creating wildlife corridors, we can allow these big cats to roam freely and safely in search of prey without venturing into ranchland. Meanwhile, it is equally important to acknowledge the dangers that people face in living near jaguars, give ranchers and farmers the tools they need to protect themselves and their livestock, and gradually shift attitudes from long-held intolerance to practiced acceptance..

Jaguar FAQs

How can I help jaguars in the wild?

You can make choices at the grocery store or your favorite coffee shop that will help jaguars. Whenever you can, choose rainforest-friendly coffee – that is to say, coffee grown in the shade of existing forest. By protecting tropical forest habitat, we protect all resident wildlife species, including jaguars.