Cats are a source of inspiration for my writing. The jaguar in particular plays a major role in my upcoming Werecat: The Rearing.

Thus, I couldn’t resist some recent news and pics.

Photo retrieved from Zooborns.com and courtesy of Brevard, FL Zoo

This jaguar cub was born on January 26th, and is pretty damn adorable. All jaguars are born with spots and blue eyes. Even those that grow up to be “black”  retain spots on their undercoat that can be seen in certain lighting. As jaguars mature, their eyes may become coppery brown, orange, yellow or green. You can read the full article on Brevard’s jaguar cub here.

Jaguars are the only New World cat that roars. In terms of ancestry, they have more in common with Old World cats like African leopards and lions than the American cougar or ocelot.

Their habitat in the South American rain forest has been greatly reduced by deforestation, and the jaguar is considered an endangered species.

Here’s a short video from international news group AFP about jaguar conservation in Brazil.

I tried to find video of the short news segment I recently saw with footage of a trap, collar and release of a 210 pound jaguar named Xango. It doesn’t appear to be on YouTube. If anyone has a link, please share it with me.

Here’s an article about the operation from Agence France Press: “Mission to save jaguar exposes big cat’s plight in Brazil.”