'Gorgeous' Rare Black Jaguar Born at English Big Cat Sanctuary: 'She Has Bags of Attitude'

Alma Leaper

The Big Cat Sanctuary has added a stunning new member to its feline family!

On Monday, the organization announced the birth of a rare black female jaguar. The cub was born on April 6 to parents Keira and Neron in Smarden, Kent.

Keira, the baby cub's mother, was born at the Paradise Wildlife Park in 2017 before relocating to the Big Cat Sanctuary two years later. The sanctuary paired Keira with male jaguar Neron for breeding, and this new arrival is their first cub together.

"This gorgeous little girl was born at 11:10 am and has gone from strength to strength since," Briony Smith, a curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said in a release. " I cannot believe how quickly she is developing compared to other big cat cubs, and this seems to be normal for jaguars. She was born with her eyes open and walking strongly by 2 weeks old."

Cam Whitnall

According to IUCN Red List, jaguars are classified as "near threatened" in the wild due to the constant threat of negative human impact. The European Endangered Species Breeding Programme, which led to the birth of the Big Cat Sanctuary's new cub, is important to conservationists because the effort helps maintain genetic diversity in the overall jaguar population.