A litter of black jaguars were born one week ago at the Warsaw Zoo and are being attended to by zoologists and veterinarians and will be available for public viewing in March.

The kittens were born to the melanistic jaguaress Beata, who is almost all black, and to the spotted jaguar Kali.

“The cats will remain at the Warsaw zoo for the next year or so, then they will be sold to a zoo in South Korea or Lithuania,” says Olga Bonikowska, zoo spokesperson.

This is Beata’s third litter – all of which have turned out healthy, though this litter still awaits medical tests and vaccinations.

“”We still do not know the sex of the kittens,” says Bonikowska, adding that the newborns are still blind, gaining sight only after two weeks.

Bonikowska adds that the successful births are unusual because it is rare for jaguars to successfully breed in captivity. (mmj)