By Ava DePersio

   The “Range of the Jaguar” exhibit at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is open 9am-5pm and allows guests the opportunity to view jaguars in a unique setting. Visit the Jax Zoo website here

   The “Range of the Jaguar” is a two-time national award winning exhibit. In 2005, the exhibit was awarded the ‘National Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA), for the outstanding exhibit. In 2008, the exhibit was awarded, “[First place] South American Exhibit, recognized in America’s Best Zoos Travel Guide,” according to ‘Jacksonville Zoo.org.’ “It is a phenomenal exhibit…we have two jaguar exhibits attached to one another… [so]…we get to rotate jaguars between [the] two exhibits,” said Mr. Michael Redig, a jaguar keeper for the Jacksonville Zoo. The “Range of the Jaguar” is one of the largest jaguar exhibits in the nation, and it captivates the guests that visit it.

   Mr. Michael Redig is a mammal keeper at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, and is also one of the jaguar keepers. He has worked at the Jacksonville Zoo for five years, and has been working with the jaguars for four years. His favorite thing about working with the jaguars is, “… [Knowing] each individual animal, and building up those bonds with them… it takes considerable effort to get those animals to work and trust you, so it is very rewarding…when that hard work pays off.” To become a jaguar keeper, there are several steps that must be followed. Mr. Redig explained that he first started working with Australian animals and anteaters, then started working with small primates, and then started working with the jaguars. “There is no set time to start working with certain [animals], but [working with] dangerous animals is going to be one of the last steps to take to become a zoo keeper.” He also explained that while there is no set amount of time that it takes to become a zookeeper, or to work with certain animals, it can take several months to over a year to become fully trained. 

   The jaguars at the zoo have several areas to roam around in. The zoo has a rotational exhibit for the jaguars, which consists of two exhibits, as well as eleven dens and four holding units. “[There is] a chute system connecting all of those separate areas [together], so that we can change the setup… [which] gives us the flexibility to change the environment for [the jaguars],” said Mr. Redig. All of the eleven dens can serve as sleeping areas, but the jaguars may also stay in the exhibit overnight. Mr. Redig explained that, “Thankfully [the “Range of the Jaguar”] is a fully enclosed exhibit, which allows us to leave the [jaguars] with access [to it] overnight… which gives them the opportunity to explore those areas when… they are more comfortable, since jaguars are more active when it gets dark.”

   The process for obtaining a jaguar for the zoo can take anywhere from a couple of months, to over two years. It depends on the individual jaguar, and the transportation that is available to move them. When bringing new jaguars to the zoo, there is a specific process that must be followed. “Once a [new jaguar] arrives, they have to go through at least a month-long quarantine program… [then] the [jaguar] would be introduced to the building,” said Mr. Redig. 

Introducing jaguars to each other is also a specific process. “Jaguars by nature are solitary, they would never be together in the wild unless they were breeding or raising young, so we treat all of our jaguars the same way,” explained Mr. Redig. The zoo tries to keep all the jaguars separate from each other, similar to how they would be in the wild. If the zoo were to do an introduction between the jaguars, it would have to involve thorough planning. “[First the zoo would] do a sensory introduction… [the jaguars] might hear each other from across the building, then we might start introducing scents… then move to them sharing doors… if we are fortunate that all of those steps are successful, the last step would be to introduce them together.”

   The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is continually raising awareness for the conservation of animals, and protecting the wildlife to the best of their abilities. There are several fundraisers throughout the year to raise awareness for the animals, and a portion of every ticket sold goes towards wildlife conservation programs. Jaguars are an endangered species, and the Jacksonville Zoo is doing the best they can to protect them, in hopes to prevent their species from becoming extinct. Mr. Redig would like it to be known that, “By conserving jaguars in the wild, [it] is also conserving all the animals that live in and around that same habitat… simple day to day decisions [such as] what we eat can impact these wild animals.” Jaguars are an important species for our planet. To help protect the jaguars and other animal species, it is important to be mindful that certain actions can have an impact on the wildlife and the environment.