Jaguar Filly Settles Into New Habitat at Big Cat Country

A young jaguar named Filly has successfully transitioned to her new home at Big Cat Country after being transferred from The Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center. According to the Milwaukee County Zoo, her arrival marks the final step in a carefully coordinated effort by zoo teams to ensure a smooth adaptation process.

The zoo shared that Filly is now exploring both her indoor and outdoor habitats under close observation from the animal care team. Her comfort and behavioural cues will determine how she adjusts to her new surroundings.

“Filly and Frankie may start to see each other depending on where they are in the back dens and will first be introduced when she is confident in all jaguar habitat areas and not until she shows signs of oestrus. After the first meeting, the animal care team will follow Filly and Frankie’s cues to let us know if they want to be together.”

Filly was transferred as part of the Jaguar Species Survival Plan, a programme designed to maintain genetic diversity among jaguars in captivity. Filly had been rehabilitated in 2019 through the Human Jaguar Conflict Program after being classified as a conflict animal. These jaguars often struggled to compete for food and territory, leading them to prey on livestock and risk being shot or poached.

After landing in Miami, Filly was driven to Wisconsin, arriving on the evening of January 23rd.