The Nate-ure Report: Jaguars at the El Paso Zoo
EL PASO, Texas -- In the second installment of "The Nate-ure Report," a profile series on the diversity of species at the El Paso Zoo, ABC-7's Nate Ryan hangs out with the jaguars.
Jaguars are the 3rd-largest cat in the world, behind the lion and the tiger, and the largest in North America.
The El Paso Zoo is home to two jaguars, but in the wild, they range from the Mexican grasslands to the Amazon Rainforest.
Jaguars are an apex predator, which means they are at the top of the food chain in the New World.
As a predator, their bite is among the strongest on the planet.
"A lot of cats when they hunt, they go for the jugular and it kinda suffocates them," says zookeeper Nikki Adams. "But jaguars just bite the skull and that's just how they hunt. It's just because of how extremely powerful their jaws are."
It's crazy to think these beautiful cats are not far off to the south of El Paso, but they are an endangered species.
At the zoo, seeing is learning, and the pair of jaguars here in El Paso provide a good outlet to raise awareness for some of the most beautiful species on the planet.
Stay tuned for more episodes of "The Nate-ure Report" on ABC-7 at 6.