Q & A

July 28, 2008

Others seek to reintroduce animals into the wild, but I get the impression that is not possible with the Jaguar. Is that true? Jerry from Mecklenburg County

Yes, that is true. Once a jaguar has been taken captive, it is taken to the Belize Zoo for behavior modification. After Sharon Matola, the founder/director of the zoo, decides that the jaguar is ready, she sends it to other zoos all across the world. These jaguars are almost always problem jaguars that have been killing livestock. Once these great cats discover the “easy” kill of domestic animals (mostly cattle), they have been found to always return to that type of predation.

The jaguars that are taken in by the Belize zoo are instrumental in learning more about the species. They are used to help the locals learn that there are alternatives to killing them. They are also used for breeding and diversifying the gene pool.

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