Diego the Jaguar at Birmingham Zoo — Diego the Jaguar is now in his new habitat at the Birmingham Zoo. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

A striking male jaguar named Diego is now on display in his outdoor habitat at the Birmingham Zoo! We visited the Birmingham Zoo to learn more about Diego and his new home.

The Birmingham Zoo has a new jaguar

On August 25, the Birmingham Zoo received a new inhabitant—a stunning jaguar named Diego. Born on January 24, 2017, Diego previously resided at the Elmwood Park Zoo and Memphis Zoo, where he successfully sired two cubs.

Now, this feline father is taking up residence in a newly enhanced outdoor habitat at the Birmingham Zoo’s Primates/South America Building.

“There is always an adjustment period when an animal has a big life change like this, but [Diego] has done really, really well. We’ve spent a lot of time bonding and implementing new, positively reinforced training routines that help with his behavior and care.

Today is his first full day in his outdoor habitat, so we are excited for him to get used to this space and find his favorite spots in the habitat.”
Devin Piper, Lead Animal Care Professional in the Primate/South America Department, Birmingham Zoo

Jaguars like Diego are native to South America, with roughly 173,000 jaguars left in the world—the majority of which are found in the Amazon rainforest. A “Near Threatened” species with a decreasing population, jaguars can live up to 12-15 years in the wild and up to 20 years with the expertise of animal care professionals in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) facilities.

Diego replaces Khan—the Birmingham Zoo’s previous jaguar of eight years—who was transferred to Melbourne, Florida’s Brevard Zoo earlier this year as part of the Jaguar Special Survival Plan (SSP), a vital program dedicated to maintaining a healthy and sustainable jaguar population in human care.

“We are delighted to welcome Diego to the Birmingham Zoo. Diego has been enjoying his enhanced habitat and we look forward to our guests meeting him at the Birmingham Zoo.

We are also pleased to report Khan is doing well at the Brevard Zoo and introductions to a future mate are going well. Hopefully he will father cubs in the future as AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) continues to help protect the jaguar species.

Our mission is inspiring passion to conserve the natural world and these jaguars are definitely helping us do that.”
Chris Pfefferkork, President and CEO, Birmingham Zoo

Diego is now officially moved into his outdoor habitat at the Birmingham Zoo’s Primates/South America Building and can be viewed during the Zoo’s normal operating hours.

Excited to see Diego at the Birmingham Zoo? Tag us @bhamnow with your best photos of him!