#20. Xena, The Jaguar
Xena was one of the only jaguars that lived in Madrid’s zoo. People usually go crazy for felines, so she was one of the zoo’s most popular animals. And to everyone’s surprise, one day the zoo’s vets found out that Xena was pregnant.
It is widely known that jaguars are on the brink of extinction, so each time a female jaguar gets pregnant, it’s great news. Everyone in the zoo got very excited and couldn’t wait to see the cute tiny cubs. But they weren’t prepared for what was coming.
#19. Excited and Prepared
Several months later, the day of the cubs’ birth finally came. The zoo staff prepared for the standard medical procedures and everyone was ready to welcome them into the zoo.
But it turns out that things didn’t go as planned. Everything went all right during the birth itself. But after Xena gave birth to her two cubs, something awful happened.
#18. A Tragedy Soon Struck Them
It appears to be that Xena was a stressed mother, since a couple of hours later, the vets realized that she had killed her two cubs before anyone could interfere.
The zookeepers were aware that this behavior was normal for a stressed mother. But in spite of this, it was a real tragedy, especially considering the fact that the jaguar population was decreasing. But do any of you know why the jaguar population is on the brink of extinction?
#17. Rapid Extinction
Jaguars live in the wild in Central and South America, but in the last few decades, their numbers have diminished considerably. Nowadays, there are approximately 65,000 jaguars left. Maybe it sounds like a lot, but it’s actually a tremendously small figure.
Sadly, the main reason behind the hunting and poaching of jaguars is their fur. In fact, during the 60s and 70s, approximately 18,000 jaguars were killed every year, just because of their beautiful coat. In case you didn’t know, a jaguar coat or carpet can be sold for over 500,000 dollars!
#16. The Importance Of Two New Jaguars
But hunting and poaching isn’t even the only threat that jaguars face. During these last decades, thousands of hectares of South America’s jungles and tropical rainforests have been burnt down for agriculture, resulting in the destruction of the jaguars’ natural habitat. In many cases, they end up feeding on cattle in nearby villages, and as a result, villagers kill or poison jaguars in order to protect their livestock.
Therefore, considering that hundreds of jaguars are hunted each year and that they are under the threat of extinction, having two new cubs would have been a great boost in their population.
#15. But There Was Still Hope
But the following day, the vets discovered some amazing news: Xena was still pregnant. Apparently, there was a third cub that hadn’t been born yet. Therefore, all of the zoo’s crew suddenly had their hopes up once again.
However, the vets were fully aware that they needed to act quickly. They needed to keep the cub away from the mother immediately after his birth. But how would they be able to do that, considering how protective jaguars are with their newborn cubs?
#14. El Bosque Veterinary Hospital
This case was extremely delicate and complex, so the zoo’s vets were fully aware that they were going to need help from other professionals. Luckily, the El Bosque Veterinary Hospital from Madrid stepped in, and some of its veterinarians examined the mother jaguar.
The hospital’s vets reached the conclusion that they had to put the mother under surgery. It turns out that she needed to get a C-section to get out the unborn cub. Everyone was scared and excited at the same time.
#13. A Risky Procedure
The surgery was carried out by both the zoo’s and the hospital’s veterinarians. The vets knew that dealing with such a big and dangerous feline would be quite a challenge, but the 12-person team was confident.
They were aware that it wouldn’t be easy, but saving a baby jaguar was definitely worth it. And so, the surgery began, with people from all over the continent waiting to hear about the outcome.
#12. A Tiny Male
After a long and difficult procedure, the surgery ended in success. The cub was removed from the mother, and the picture below was one of the cub’s first shots. Nevertheless, complications soon appeared.
The vets soon realized that the cub was not breathing, the reason for which they believed that it was stillborn. But nobody wanted to give up, so they did everything they could…
#11. Emergency CPR
A vet took the cub and started giving it CPR with a pump, but nothing happened. Seconds after this failed attempt, another vet pressed on the cub’s chest to start the heart beats. But it looked like nothing was working.
But just when everyone was about to give up, the female doctor Patricia Garrido came up with one last solution. Can you guess what it was? You won’t believe it!
#10. Mouth-to-Mouth
Dr. Patricia Garrido thought that, as a last resort, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation would be worth a try. The other vets watched her and could only pray for the cub to be alive.
I know that a human giving CPR to a baby leopard seems like a joke, but as a matter of fact, this scene has been recorded in a video. If you search it on the Internet, you’ll see for yourself how a young female vet presses her mouth on the jaguar’s and tries to revive it.
#9. Eight Gut-Wrenching Minutes
While Dr. Patricia Garrido performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, an assistant felt the cub’s body for a faint heartbeat. The whole process took eight minutes, but in the end, a miracle happened…
As soon as they felt the first heartbeat and realized that not all was lost, the vets prepared the cub for an incubator. They gave him a few shots and cleaned him and waited to see him breathe on his own. Can you guess what happened with the cub in the end? See it for yourself in the next photo.
#8. Ali The Baby Jaguar
Luckily, the cub survived, and he was named Ali. Even though you can’t see him in detail, in the picture below you can spot little baby Ali inside the incubator, still under recovery.
One of the operating vets, Antonio Rodriguez explained that those eight minutes were full of unexplainable emotions: “I’m really happy with my team’s work and we got a great reward“.
Let’s meet Ali in the next photo. He’s adorable!
#7. An Indescribable Experience
Even the toughest animals in the world – such as jaguars, tigers or lions – are extremely adorable when they are cubs. Take a look at the picture: isn’t he gorgeous? Wouldn’t you like to have little baby Ali as a pet in your backyard?
According to Antonio, one of the zoo’s vets: “The experience of seeing an animal start living and breathing after our help is really amazing. It is indescribable“. It’s truly amazing how brave the whole team was!
#6. It Was Too Much of a Risk
Now Ali would have to be nursed by the staff. The vets and the zookeepers were not willing to risk Ali’s life by sending him back with Xena; it was just too dangerous. Therefore, the vets decided to take the cub to a different zoo.
Consequently, Ali was going to need a surrogate mother, and he’d have to be bottle-fed around the clock. If you think that feeding a jaguar with a baby bottle is a joke, then you’ll be surprised by the picture above!
But what about Xena?
#5. Xena Was Healthy
There is one question that is left to answer: how was Jena feeling after the surgery? The mother jaguar went back to her zoo after recovering from the surgery. Fortunately, everything went fine, but she just wasn’t fit to raise her cub.
The picture above was taken after she recovered from surgery. Looking at her melancholic expression truly breaks your heart. As to Ali, he was sent to a family who fostered him. Soon, Olavo and Tahone volunteered to take him in.
#4. A Strong Baby
Shortly after he was stabilized and was out of danger, Ali was transported to Olavo and Tahone’s home. There, he received the best care. The idea of two humans taking care of a jaguar seems crazy, doesn’t it?
Ali thrived next to his human parents. In the picture above, Olavo is holding Ali for the first time. But if you find this cute, wait until you look at how healthy and beautiful he looks in the next photo…
#3. Two Months of Joy
During the first two months, Ali did great in his new home. In fact, look at how happy he looks! He’s practically laughing! The jaguar cub learned to run and to swim in no time, but after the first two months, he had already grown too big for his home.
Ali needed another place to live, and fortunately, he immediately found a perfect and way bigger place to live in. He would soon lead a fulfilling life in his new home. Can you guess where he was sent to?
#2. An Unlikely Outcome
Ali was sent to another smaller zoo, different from the one where Xena lives. He is the only jaguar, but let’s hope that someday another cub will join him. But he can’t complain!
Without a doubt, Ali wouldn’t be alive if it hadn’t been for the team of veterinarians. The zoo staff and the vets acted fast and they heroically managed to save the jaguar’s life! So the fact that Ali is alive and lives comfortably in a zoo is a great accomplishment.
#1. A Lovely Kitten
In other words, Ali was lucky to be born. Many people wonder why he wasn’t sent to live in the wilderness. But the truth is that he wouldn’t have survived in the wild all by himself. Since he lacks the skills that are necessary to hunt, he would have probably starved.
Therefore, Ali is bound to live among humans for the rest of his life. After all, humans were the ones who saved his life and who cared for him and loved him from the moment he was born.