The City of Abilene announced Friday that its 13-year-old jaguar died following surgery Thursday evening. "Copan" had been at the Abilene Zoo since 1997.
According to a news release, the jaguar died immedately after the medical procedure. The procedure was being done to find cause for a self mutilation problem on the animals tail.
The zoo's veterinarians performed an autopsy and will send tissue and blood samples to researchers at the University of California. They're hopeful those samples will lead to a cause of death.
According to National Geographic, the average lifespan of a jaguar is 12-15 years.
Jaguars are listed as an endangered species in the Americas. The Abilene Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for jaguar populations.
The City of Abilene announced Friday that its 13-year-old jaguar died following surgery Thursday evening. "Copan" had been at the Abilene Zoo since 1997.
According to a news release, the jaguar died immedately after the medical procedure. The procedure was being done to find cause for a self mutilation problem on the animals tail.
The zoo's veterinarians performed an autopsy and will send tissue and blood samples to researchers at the University of California. They're hopeful those samples will lead to a cause of death.
According to National Geographic, the average lifespan of a jaguar is 12-15 years.
Jaguars are listed as an endangered species in the Americas. The Abilene Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for jaguar populations.
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