Jaguar - Extraordinary animals at the ZooParc de Beauval

Jaguar

Panthera onca
NT

IUCN status
Near threatened
Find out more

Jaguar - Extraordinary animals at the ZooParc de Beauval

« Whether golden and spotted or deep black, the jaguar remains the same ruler of the forests of the Americas »

The jaguar, the largest cat in the Americas

The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and the third largest in the world, after the tiger and lion. This Central and South American carnivore is an apex predator, equally at home in dense tropical forests and along riverbanks. One characteristic often comes as a surprise: jaguars can have two very different coat colours. The most common is a tawny or golden coat, sometimes described as “orange”, covered in black rosettes. The rarer form is almost entirely black. Despite their very different appearance, both are exactly the same species.
You can discover the jaguar among the many species in Beauval’s animal directory.

Jaguar - Extraordinary animals at the ZooParc de Beauval

Did you know?

Taïma’s first time outdoors

The female jaguar discovers her territory!

As soon as the door opened, Taïma didn’t hesitate for a second! Our new female jaguar immediately set off to explore her outdoor enclosure in the Bois des Fauves.
Curious and confident, she explored her new surroundings under the watchful eyes of the teams. A very encouraging first outing for Taïma, who continues to settle into her new home at Beauval.

Une espèce menacée par la déforestation

Classé « Quasi menacé » par l’UICN, le jaguar a déjà perdu près de la moitié de son aire de répartition historique. Autrefois présent du sud des États-Unis au nord de l’Argentine, il a disparu de vastes territoires. Les principales menaces sont la déforestation, la fragmentation de son habitat, la raréfaction de ses proies et les conflits avec les activités humaines. À travers l’association Beauval Nature, le ZooParc soutient un programme de conservation dédié au jaguar en Amérique du Sud, aux côtés d’autres actions de préservation des espèces et des milieux.
Je m’engage avec Beauval Nature !
Jaguar - Extraordinary animals at the ZooParc de Beauval

Where can you see the jaguar at ZooParc de Beauval?

At ZooParc de Beauval, the jaguar is one of the big cats you can discover in The Big Cat Woodlands. Find its location on the ZooParc map and take some time to observe this discreet predator during quieter periods of the day, when it may be more active. Nearby, you can also discover other iconic species including Sumatran tigers, white tigers, Persian leopards and cougars.

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Jaguar - Extraordinary animals at the ZooParc de Beauval
Jaguar - Extraordinary animals at the ZooParc de Beauval
Jaguar - Extraordinary animals at the ZooParc de Beauval
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Learn more about the species

Range
America
  • Diet
    Carnivore
  • Gestation period
    3 to 3½ months
  • Litter size
    1 à 4 young
  • Habitat
    Wetlands, Tropical forests

The largest cat in the Americas
Powerful and muscular, the jaguar can measure up to 1.80 metres in body length, with a tail measuring up to an additional 90 cm. Weight varies between males and females, with males generally being larger and weighing up to 136 kg, compared with a maximum of 100 kg for females. Its short, rounded head contains exceptionally powerful jaw muscles, making it a formidable predator.

Jaguar, leopard or black panther: how can you tell them apart?
Jaguars and leopards may look similar, but several characteristics make it possible to tell them apart. The jaguar is more heavily built, with a broader head and shorter legs. Its rosettes are larger and often contain a central spot, which is absent from a leopard’s rosettes. Most importantly, the two species live on different continents: jaguars are found in the Americas, while leopards live in Africa and Asia. A black panther, meanwhile, is not a species in its own right. The name generally refers to a melanistic big cat: a jaguar in the Americas or a leopard in Africa and Asia.

A solitary and territorial life
Jaguars live alone and defend territories that they mark with scratches and scent markings. Males generally occupy larger ranges than females and usually avoid other males, although their home ranges can sometimes overlap. As adults, males and females come together only to breed. After a gestation period of around three months, the female gives birth to between one and four cubs, which she raises alone. They remain with her until becoming independent at around two years of age.

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