The National Zoological Park, New Delhi (Delhi Zoo) celebrated International Jaguar Day, today. On this occasion, National Zoological Park organized activities like a Zoo Walk and an Expert talk on ‘Big Cats and Jaguars’. Students from Little Star Public School participated in these events. Participation certificates, literature on wildlife conservation and souvenirs were given to the students to encourage them and arouse their curiosity in understanding the importance of nature and wildlife conservation.
International Jaguar Day was created to raise awareness about the increasing threats facing the jaguar and the critical conservation efforts ensuring its survival. Observed annually on November 29, International Jaguar Day celebrates the Americas’ largest wild cat as an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation and an icon for sustainable development and the centuries-old cultural heritage of Central and South America. This is the third largest Cat Predator in the World and an important species of the Amazon Rainforest.
International Jaguar Day also represents the collective voice of jaguar range countries, in collaboration with national and international partners, to draw attention to the need to conserve jaguar corridors and their habitats as part of broader efforts to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Jaguars (Panthera onca) are often mistaken for leopards but can be differentiated due to the spots within the rosettes on their coats. While many cats avoid water, jaguars are great swimmers and have even been known to swim the Panama Canal.
