Jaguar in Springs

He has lived with Goosey since he was three days old and exhibits all the antics of a naughty household pet, chewing on chairs and anything that might look interesting to him.

Blade, at 11 months old and weighing 60kg, is very entertaining to watch as he wanders around, looking for something mischievous to do.

This exquisite cat is obviously a much loved pet, as a video of Blade getting a bath in the bathtub, shows how the big cat is enjoying it.

Security

While the sight of Blade is enough to make many coo over his beauty, other may question the safety of housing a large cat in suburbia.

Blade is secure on his owner’s property, which is surrounded by tall and stable fences so curious onlookers cannot enter the premises.

Goosey assures readers that he has ensured the fence is tall enough to prevent Blade jumping over the wall, even when he is fully grown.

Blade eats between three and five chickens a day along as well as servings of meat.

Once he has reached maturity, Blade will move to Goosey’s predator park, Jugomaro.

The SPCA explained that because Blade is an exotic animal and not indigenous to South Africa, a permit is not needed to keep a jaguar as a pet on your property.

Mistaken identity

The Addie recently had a column about a strawberry leopard and Goosey explains that many people mistake jaguars for a leopards, which is a common mistake as these two are closely related.

Jaguars tend to have larger rosettes with spots in the middle whereas the leopard has plain rosettes with no spots in the middle.

The jaguar also has a much broader forehead and wider jaw than the leopard.

Jaguar facts

n Their scientific name is Panthera onca, but the common name is jaguar.

n They are originally from Central and South America, they are not indigenous in South Africa like the lion and leopard.

n Following tigers and lions, jaguars are the third biggest cats in the world.

n They are well known for their immense power and agility.

n Their habitat is rain forests, swamps and floodplains.

n They range in size from 1.1m to 1.9m.

n Their top speed is 80 km per hour.

n A jaguar’s life span ranges from 12 to 15 years.

n They are a threatened species with a population size of about 15 000.

n Jaguars have the strongest bite force of all the ‘big cats’.

n Although jaguars hold the reputation of being aggressive, unprovoked attacks on humans are rare.