One of Little Rock Zoo's two jaguars euthanized after falling ill

Agave, one of the Little Rock Zoo's two jaguars, is shown in the photo provided by the zoo.
Agave, one of the Little Rock Zoo's two jaguars, is shown in the photo provided by the zoo.

One of the Little Rock Zoo's two jaguars died shortly after officials confirmed the big cat was suffering from cancer, the zoo said Wednesday.

Agave, a female who would have turned 17 in July, came to Little Rock in 2001 with her brother, Cactus Jack.

Agave fell ill Saturday and Monday "became lethargic and stopped eating," the zoo said in a statement. Tests then revealed signs of cancer. That diagnosis was confirmed by a surgery that showed the disease had spread and was inoperable, the statement said, noting euthanasia at that point was the "best course of action."

"Agave went downhill pretty quickly, and we acted with urgency to help her," zoo veterinarian Dr. Sarah Kline said in the statement.

The zoo said officials will closely monitor Cactus Jack, who had been with Agave since birth.

The zoo's jaguars drew worldwide attention in 2014 when a 3-year-old boy fell into the exhibit. The child suffered a skull fracture and minor puncture wounds and the zoo later added chain-link wire netting on that and other exhibits.

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