Our jaguar

We owe one last, as it seems, piece of information to all lovers of our pet. Since entering adulthood, Uran has no longer been in Poland. So where is he? Well, we have been persistent in seeking the truth and thanks to that we managed to find an answer to that question. The final destination of Uran appeared to be a faraway land of blooming magnolias, a place of happiness, justice and anti-imperialistic independence, literally speaking a paradise on earth: Democratic People's Rebublic of Korea.

We aren't completely certain whether this is the best place he could find. We don't know how he sees that and whether he loved the country and the climate. We only hope that he wasn't turned into a refined dish to the satisfaction of the Great Leader - Kim Dzong Il, or that he wasn't eaten by natives who, to be honest, are not always fully replete. If he's just a little lucky, perhaps he won't participate in tortures and discriminatin either. What's more - being optimists, we expect that his daily portion of food equals no more than half a rice bag. And significant problems of the People's Great Korea, such as the struggle with world imperialism or realizing the immortal programme of embodying the Beloved Leader Kim Ir Sen's last will on consolidation of the whole nation in the effort to unite the country - don't have bother him too much.

Our heart remains with Uran. So let him find happiness in his new homeland. Let his dignity and proud posture attract crowds and that way raise tourist desirability of the region. And let that be our last contribution in building of communism.

This way or another, for the time being we are restful about the achievements of the land of magnolias. As Korean agencies inform, life goes more and more optimistic there. The joy of people, peace and friendship keep on growing constantly thanks to the efforts made by their Precious Leader, and luminous future of the country and nation is practically foregone...

Here you can watch our latest video picturing the life of jaguars - namely Uran and his father - Kali. Uran, that is our dependant, is one year old now and definitely stopped being a nice littly kitty which he had been until lately. This obviously doesn't mean that he is less nice. It's just better not to step into his room. Our camera operator filmed him through a glass wall, the same was with his dad. The few pictures below allow us to proudly state that Uran is nearly adult. You can see it most in the end of the film when the young fellow presents his teeth...

Uran jaguar from the Warsaw Zoo has been out on a walk for the very first time in his life. Uran has been our dependant for some time now. We will take care of him until he is grown, that is 18 months old. Then, the two jaguars will go to another Zoo, probably abroad... Black jaguars are a rare species, even in Zoos - there were none in Warsaw for 14 years.
If Uran was born in the wild, he would feel best in thick jungle or in the bush. He obviously doesn't feel bad in Warsaw Zoo either, and he likes playground best, where there are a lot of obstacles and hidding places (you can see that in the images above). We trace each step Uran makes diligently. We will keep you updated on his latest achievements.

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Tough love of jaguars It was difficult in the beginning. Beata had been following Kali for almost a year until he finally noticed her. Attempts of closer relationship ended with severe injuries of the female in the form of claw imprints on her nose. Indolent nature of Kali truly revealed his origin - as an Englishmen he was just phlegmatic.
Beaten on the muzzle It was only the change of living conditions that brought some results. From the time when the cats got a new habitat, swimming pool and comfortable bedrooms, Kali became much more interested in the environment, including Beata. However, in the meantime she lost her trust in him, and now he was the one to get beaten on the muzzle. Mutual aggression was growing.
After a hundred days The end crowns the work. On 13 November 2006, after 100 days of pregnancy, two kittens were born, to the amazement of the Warsaw Zoo personnel. The cats' birth was a sensational news - that species had not been there for 14 years!
You could feel it The moment of giving birth itself remains in the mist of secret. The cats just appeared one day on the hay. None of the personnel assisted the birth, though a lot was speculated. Beata's nervoussnes indicated that something's going on.
Close encounters of the third kind We learnt about the babies from the spectators of Polonia Warszawa football club who have taken care of Beata for two years. Mr Robert Łukaszyk and his son, Marcin, have regular close encounters of the third kind with the cats.
On the first pages of newspapers The kitties immediately appeared on the first pages of Warsaw newspapers and in Teleexpress (short news programme). Through the intermediacy of Gazeta Wyborcza, Polonia fans organized a contest for names for the newly born in which participated as well.
What do jaguars like? Beata takes great care of her children and keeps watching them all the time, except while she's eating. For a couple of weeks she will be fed exceptionally on Sundays as well, though other cats fast then. She usually eats beef and horsemeat but she doesn't despise rabbits, coypus or hens.
Will gladly give a paw... Young jaguars are always lighter than adults. When finished suckling, they seem to domesticate very easily, however, it's better not to approach too close to them when they are over two years old... Jaguar is one the largest felids.
What else will happen...? When the kids grow up, they will have to leave their home. It's a normal thing among jaguars. Otherwise, there could be bastard relations in the family and this could not be allowed. And when Beata and Kali are alone again - who knows... maybe something will happen...?
Black shirts for black queen Beata was born in 2003 in Zoo in Ołomuniec; she is in Warsaw since April 2004. Black Shirts Friendship Society "Great Polonia" added some names upon signing of the adoption deed, making Beata the Queen Beata Konwiktorska VI.
The jaguar king The Aztecs worshipped jaguar as the king of wild animals and the lord of darkness. In its figure they saw their highest god - Texcatlipoc. The most important manifestation of that god was the godly jaguar called Tepeyollotli - Heart of the Mountain - living in the cage, inside the Earth. For the Maya black jaguar was the god of fields. It was summoned in rituals which were supposed to assure good crops.
...and the world was eaten by jaguars In the Aztec mythology jaguars took active part in creation and then destruction of the five Suns, that is, ages of the world. In the beginning, the original being - Ometecuhtli - gave birth to creator gods: Texcatlipoca, superior deity, Xipe Totexa, Huitzilopochtl and Quetzalcoatl. Texcatlipoca ruled the first Sun for 676 years. Then, Quetzalcoatl overthrown Texcatlipoca and the world was eaten by jaguars...