JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The beloved jaguar cub that captured the hearts of people across the First Coast is celebrating his first birthday at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Sunday.
The jaguar, named Banks, was born to first-time mother Babette on April 7, 2023.
"It has been an adventure watching him grow from a cub to a big boy," the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens wrote on social media Sunday morning.
Months after the jaguar was born, the zoo said it was accepting submissions to name the little guy.
After several names were tossed into the ring, including Duwey, Tabai and Zuo, the name "Banks" came out on top with 2,185 votes or 30 percent of the total votes.
The zoo said Banks' name was meant to pay homage to the St. Johns River and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While celebrating Banks' first full year of life, the zoo also called attention to the importance of protecting jaguars worldwide.
"Considering that 46% of jaguar populations in the Guiana Shield remain outside of protected areas, understanding the threats that jaguars face within state, private and indigenous lands is critical to the conservation," the zoo said in a post on Facebook.
The Guiana Shield is considered one of the world's greatest regions for biodiversity, with 1,143 jaguars recorded in the area since 2000, according to data from the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group, a nonprofit aiming to conserve wild cat species.
The zoo partners with the Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit in Guyana, South America to raise awareness about interactions between jaguars and livestock in the area and cut down on human-to-jaguar conflicts.
"In collaboration with villages, private ranches, regional groups, government agencies and others, they work to produce new management tactics and partnerships that benefit people and jaguars," the zoo said in the post.
A portion of proceeds from ticket sales and memberships goes directly to the animals in the Jacksonville Zoo and the preservation of animals and plants worldwide.
For more information on the zoo's conservation mission, CLICK HERE.