Celebrating Fiona's birthday

The Panamanian jaguar Fiona celebrated her third birthday at the Palm Beach Zoo in Florida October 4th, 2017. Fiona arrived at the Palm Beach Zoo in Florida, USA, in April of this year.

The Panamanian jaguar was honored in a celebration of her third birthday which was also World Animal Day.

Fiona was rescued in Bayano, east of Panama City, in October 2014, when she was an orphaned and wounded by poachers.

During her first months of life, she was raised by Lynne Hawksworth, a British volunteer who works with the Pan American Conservation Association (APPC).

As the months passed, Fiona recovered. Her first home was the APPC Wildlife Care Center in Gamboa. She grew strong and was then transferred to the Florida Zoo. After a quarantine period, Fiona adapted to her new enclosure well. Specialists at the zoo are optimistic that she will be able to reproduce and be a positive addition to the program with aims to aid the survival of the species.

Fiona’s partner, named Zooka, is expected to arrive in Florida in April 2018 from the Granby Zoo in Quebec, Canada. Zooka also grew up in captivity and will be one of the four Jaguars at the Palm Beach Zoo, and the only male.