Pair of Jaguars lodged at Mysore Zoo

Mysore, Sep 20 (UNI) The century-old Mysore Zoo is boasting of some new additions ahead of the tourist season in view of the coming Dasara, with the arrival of a pair of Jaguars from the National Zoological Park, New Delhi, as part of an exchange programme.

In a release here, Zoo Executive Director Ranga Rao said the Jaguars -- Raja (11 months) and Viji (one year and nine months) -- were captive born. As per records, the Mysore zoo had never housed a Jaguar, at least not in the last three decades.

He said a pair of Gaur, a pair of Ring-necked Pheasant and a pair of green pheasants were given from Mysore zoo surplus stock in exchange on the approval of the Central Zoo Authority.

The Jaguar was listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wild Services and was distributed in Texas, US, Mexico, Brazil and Guatemala. Jaguar is the third largest cat in the world, behind tiger and African lion.

In the wild, they prey on deer and large ground dwelling birds.

The lifespan of a Jaguar is 20 years in zoo.

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