The male jaguar cub born at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens 12 weeks ago finally has a name — Banks — with the help of the almost 7,400 people who voted in a public poll.
Banks was one of four names chosen by zoo staff and the cub’s care specialists from the 700 or so names submitted during a week-long Name That Jag contest that began June 21. The contest, in partnership with the Jaguars Foundation, also drew $11,500 in donations.
Thursday the zoo then ran a 24-hour poll to choose the most fitting of the four on Instagram and Twitter with Banks narrowly coming out on top with 30% of the votes.
The name is in homage to the St. Johns River and the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, long known as The Bank after stadium sponsor TIAA Bank. It received 2,185 votes.
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The three other nominated names for the cub were:
- Zuco, a combination of the cub’s paternal grandparents names, Zassi and Tuco, which received 2,174 votes;
- Duwey, a play on Duval County and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ rally cry “DUUUVAL!,” with 2,164 votes; and
- Tobai (TAH-BY), short for “Ah Tabai,” which is the Mayan god of the hunt and protector of animals, with 816 votes.
“Banks has captivated our community’s attention since he was born and the success of this contest is a testament to Jacksonville’s passion for jaguars, both on and off the field,” said Nikki Smith, the zoo’s chief philanthropy and community engagement officer. “We are beyond grateful for the support and generosity the cub and zoo have received throughout the naming process, and we look forward to introducing him to his fans later this summer.”
Banks was born April 7, the first jaguar cub at the zoo in almost 10 years, with first-time parents Babette, 7, and Harry, 14. The cub and mother are not yet on public exhibit but are bonding well behind the scenes. A video stream of the cub den is available in the zoo’s Range of the Jaguar exhibit.
The last jaguar cub born at the zoo was Khan in July 2013. He was named for Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, with whom he shares a birthday.
“We are delighted to hear that Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ newest jaguar cub officially has a name and will be cared for thanks to the support of our incredible community who made donations,” Jaguars Chief Community Impact Officer Whitney Meyer said. “As we gear up for the season, Banks is the perfect addition to our team and certainly has the best fan base around him.”
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A jaguar’s pregnancy lasts about 14 weeks. Cubs typically weigh about 2 pounds at birth and are born blind but can see after two weeks, according to the zoo. The largest cat in the Americas and the third largest in the world behind lions and tigers, a full-grown male jaguar can weigh 125 to 250 pounds, a female 100 to 200 pounds.
Fans can help provide food and medical care for the cub and the zoo’s other jaguars, which annually total about $10,000. The Jaguars Foundation will match up to $10,000 in donations through the naming contest, bringing the total funds raised to $21,494.
Jaguars are listed as “near threatened” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. Although they once roamed from central Argentina to the southwestern United States. they’ve lost more than half of their original territory since the 1880s, according to the zoo.
“Today, their main stronghold is in Brazil and in the Amazon Rainforest,” according to the zoo.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
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