It's been a busy year for births at the Fort Worth Zoo -- first a giraffe, then three lion cubs and now two jaguar cubs.
Luna and Estrella, Spanish for moon and star, respectively, were born at the zoo May 11 and are the seventh and eighth jaguar births at the zoo since the opening of the Texas Wild! exhibit in 2001.
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The adorable pair are making their debut to the public Thursday and can now be seen in their habitat in the Brush Country exhibit in Texas Wild!
Luna and Estrella weighed less than two pounds each at birth and were born with their eyes closed, the zoo said.
"Over the last few weeks, the new zoo babies have been spending time with mom, Xochi, in an off-exhibit area to nurse, bond and develop necessary skills like walking and climbing," the zoo said.
In the wild, a jaguar cub is dependent on its mother for protection from predators, for food and guidance until it is about 2-years-old, the zoo said.
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As they continue to grow, their fur will change to adult coloration that provides as camouflage in forest surroundings. At about 6 months old, they'll stop nursing and will live on a carnivorous diet. Their eyes, the zoo said, will also change from the current bright blue color to green.
When they reach adulthood, Luna and Estrella will weigh between 100 and 250 pounds and measure about 6 feet in length, excluding their tail. Jaguars, historically native to the southern United States, are the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere and the third largest in the world behind lions and tigers.
Luna and Estrella have a full-blooded sister, Sasha, who was born at the Fort Worth Zoo to Xochi and their father Pepito in 2013. Sasha now lives at the San Diego Zoo as part of the Jaguar Species Survival Plan. Luna and Estrella will stay at the Fort Worth Zoo for the next 12 to 18 months and then be moved to another zoo, as part of the SSP plan, to help maintain genetic diversity within the species.
The Fort Worth Zoo said jaguars will often have only one cub during their first pregnancy, but that multiple births of up to four cubs are common in subsequent pregnancies.
