Skip to main content
Clear icon
62º

Jacksonville Zoo’s adorable jaguar ‘Banks’ celebrates 1st birthday

(FILE) Baby jaguar "Banks" make debut at Jacksonville Zoo's Range of the Jaguar exhibit. (WJXT)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Banks, the newest jaguar at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, celebrated his first birthday Sunday, according to the zoo.

“It has been an adventure watching him grow from a cub to a big boy,” the zoo wrote on Facebook.

Recommended Videos



Banks was born to first-time parents Babette and Harry, and he was the first jaguar cub born at the zoo in 10 years.

During his first year of life, Banks has stolen the hearts of the community and has become an ambassador to his species, the zoo said.

He got his name from the Zoo’s “Name That Jag” contest. After hundreds of submissions, Banks was one of the four names chosen by zoo staff and the cub’s care specialists that were then voted on by the public.

Banks made his first public appearance at the Range of the Jaguar exhibit on July 20, 2023.


About the Author
Marcela Camargo headshot

Marcela joined News4JAX in 2023. She grew up in Mexico and eventually moved to California to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Now, she is a proud San Diego State University alumna who has many years of experience in TV and digital journalism.

Loading...

Recommended Videos