Reviewed by: Grace Howard
11-year-old jaguar Khan leaving the Birmingham Zoo next week
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After eight years in residence at the Birmingham Zoo, Khan the jaguar is moving back to his home state of Florida.
The 11-year-old jaguar arrived in Birmingham in 2017 from the Jacksonville Zoo, where he was born in 2013. He was named Khan in honor of the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team, Shad Khan.
Fun fact: Coincidentally, the jaguar was born on the same day as Shad Khan.
Why is Khan leaving Alabama?
Khan is headed to the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, as part of the jaguar Species Survival Plan managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). There, he will help “expand the jaguar population through his offspring,” the Birmingham Zoo said Thursday, July 3.
These decisions are never made lightly and it is hard for our teams, too. But moving animals like Khan helps protect his species, gives him a future with a family of his own, and ensures we are doing everything possible to keep wildlife thriving for generations to come.
Chris Pfefferkorn, President and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo
The Birmingham Zoo is leveling up its habitat
Now that Khan is traveling back to the Brevard Zoo, the Birmingham Zoo is beginning renovations to the jaguar habitat located in the Primate/South America Building. That should take less than a month, and once they’re finished, they will welcome a jaguar from another AZA zoo.
Part of the renovations include reactivating the waterfall—jaguars are excellent swimmers, the zoo said, making this a great improvement for the habitat’s next resident.
In the wild, jaguars can live up to 12 to 15 years. With the expertise of animal care professionals in AZA facilities, they can live up to 20 years or longer. Jaguars are a “Near Threatened” species with a decreasing population. They are under threat from growing demand for their skin/fur, teeth, and claws.
Bill Lang, Director of Marketing & Events of the Birmingham Zoo
Due to deforestation and agricultural activities, jaguar territory has been slowly shrinking, according to the World Wildlife Fund. It is estimated that around 50% of their historic range has been lost, and they have gone entirely extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay.
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