Reina and Tuco are One Year Old

The title says it all! Our jaguar cubs, Reina and Tuco, turned one year old on June 14th 2006. (Yes, I realize I'm a little late with this...) We celebrated their birthday, it true jaguar style, on June 10th. (We decided more people would be able to attend the party if it was on a Saturday! :)) We decorated the exhibit with streamers (we had lots of fun with that). They recieved cardboard animals (a pig, a nene goose and an alligator), a cake and wrapped gifts.



The animals were made from cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls and tempera paint. The staff and the volunteers all had fun making them! It took us a few days to make them. However, it only took a few minutes for the jags to destroy them! We did help them along a little though - we stuffed the animals with meatballs, bones, and eggs. ;)


The cake was made specially for them by CMB. She took their diet (raw meat) and shaped it into a round cake. She then frosted it with meat flavored baby food, added tuna fish sprinkles and, to top it off, stuck a thin bone in it for a candle. :)


Needless to say, they LOVED it!













Their gifts were bones wrapped up in boxes and birthday wrapping paper. All three jags (Reina, Tuco and Cocoy (mom)) share in the gifts and the animals. We put just the cubs out for the cake - Mom didn't need any more food that day. :)

If your interested in seeing one person's take on the party, check out this video.

Bobby and his fiance came out to the zoo (on behalf of Jonathon Walton - a KHOU TV personality) to celebrate the cubs birthday. I think he and Liz did a nice job on the video. He got some very nice action shots.

*sniff* Our babies are growing up. Soon they'll be headed off to zoo's of their own and sharing the joys of a wild cat with other guests. We'll miss them when they're gone but we'll rest happy knowing that we gave them a great cubhood. And we'll enjoy their antics and smarts for as long as we have them!