Lebron, a beautiful male jaguar, made his debut at the Zoo this fall and is on exhibit daily. Born in Akron, Ohio, this four-year-old jaguar is named after NBA star LeBron James who also hails from Akron.

Before arriving at the Louisville Zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival program, LeBron was most recently a resident of the Brevard Zoo located in Florida.

Listed as near threatened, the population of jaguars continues to decline due to habitat destruction, poaching of prey and fragmented population. Unlike many species that pack together, outside of breeding season, jaguars are loners preferring not to associate with one another. It is estimated that there are less than 15,000 jaguars living in the wild.