Maya, the Jaguar, Videos

Maya Training

Because we don't go in with our jaguars, we use positive reinforcement to train them so the keepers can do their job. If the jaguar does what the trainer asks them to do, they get rewarded (in this case with a nice piece of raw meat).

If the jaguar does something we don't want them to do, the trainer simply ignores the behavior and asks again. In this video, Maya is being trained to respond to a target stick, which allows the keeper to examine the jaguars face, belly and paws. The keeper is also working on decreasing feeding time aggression to keep the jaguar still longer for visual exams.

Maya also is trained to stand on a scale so keepers can monitor her weight as she grows. In the future, Maya will continue her training and new and more complex behaviors will be added to her training plan.

Maya Swimming

Jaguars are one of the few cat species that enjoys swimming.

As you can see, swimming is one of Maya's favorite pass-times!

Jaguar Cub Birth Video

• Date of Birth: October 28, 2008 at 4:13:32 AM.
• Female Jaguar, Nabalam, at Palm Beach Zoo gives birth to one jaguar cub.
• The new cub is female.
• The cub and mom will be watched closely by animal care staff via cameras over the next couple of weeks.
• View Press Release (PDF)

Jaguar Cub Nursing Video

• Video from: October 29, 2008 at 6:27 AM.
• One day old cub has been seen nursing from mom, Nabalam, often over the last 24 hours and appears to be healthy and strong.
• Animal care staff continue to monitor both mom and cub via cameras only for next two weeks.