The jaguar cub born last December in Mérida’s Centenario zoo finally gets a name, Booxo.
The name makes reference to the cub’s black fur, as boox in Yucatec-Mayan means black.
The official announcement was made by Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera Concha at a ceremony held in the Centro Cultural Olimpo.
The name was selected from over 80 entries in a naming competition organized by the Centenario city zoo.
The winner of the contest was 8-year-old Camila Cocom Matrtínez from Chichí Suarez. The first and second runners-up were Laura Alonzo Patrón and Ian Chacón Espinosa, who suggested the names Alam and Box Buitz respectively.
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All three children won an assortment of board games and a VIP tour to meet little Booxo. The winner Camila also took home a new bicycle as well as well-deserved bragging rights.
Jaguars are native to the Yucatán peninsula but have become an endangered species due to factors such as habitat loss.
The baby jaguar’s caregivers have told the public that the cub is doing very well and has already proven himself to be extremely energetic and playful.
