It’s crazy to think that these little cubs will soon grow to be part of the largest cat breed in the Americas. According to ZooBorns, these four-week old jaguar twins were born in Loro Parque, a nature park located in Tenerife, Spain. While most jaguars are yellow with black rose-shaped spots called “rosettes,” a small percentage have a black coat like this mother and one of her cubs.
Loro Parque has a breeding program to save the threatened jaguar population. In the wild, this species is in decline, and ranked as a near threatened animal on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This is due to habitat loss and poaching. Jaguars are found in the Americas, but high deforestation rates in Latin America are threatening their home. When jaguars lose their natural habitat, they become more fragmented and vulnerable to humans. It is not uncommon for a jaguar to be shot on site, despite protective legislation. While poaching practices have declined, there is still a demand for jaguar paws and teeth. Sad, considering how cute those paws are when still attached to a living cub.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk1hXQjOd8M[/youtube]
Source: The Huffington Post
