It's a Girl! It's a Boy! Elmwood Park Zoo Has New Jaguars

Photos of Zean and Inka courtesy of Elmwood Park Zoo

_________________

It’s a girl and a boy!

Elmwood Park Zoo has added two new jaguars to its zoo family, it announced Monday.

Inka, a 1-year-old female, joins Elmwood Park from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, while Zean is a 2-year-old male from Milwaukee County Zoo in Milwaukee, Elmwood Park Zoo said.

“The zoo staff is very pleased to not only have jaguar, the Elmwood Park Zoo’s icon, but also for our guests to be able to enjoy and appreciate them once again,” said Dave Wood, animal curator for the Elmwood Park Zoo.

Elmwood Park Zoo had two jaguars among its animals for years. Anasazi, the zoo’s spotted jaguar, died in the spring 2013 at age 19. Cali, the black jaguar, died this past July at age 18.

Inka and Zean are currently housed in the exhibit once occupied by Anasazi and Cali, but the zoo plans to break ground next year on a new, multi-million dollar jaguar exhibit, “Majestic Predators: On the Trail of the Jaguar.” The new exhibit will also house ocelots and jaguarundis, the zoo said.

“We are so very excited to care for these two beautiful creatures, and we are just as excited to be building a brand new home for them,” said Al Zone, executive director and CEO for the Elmwood Park Zoo. “We are deeply grateful to the donors that are funding the new construction. The exhibit wouldn’t be possible without their support.”