Good bye old friend; Junior Buddy passes away

Today the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center announced the death of the most famous jaguar in Belize, Junior Buddy. The 12-year-old jaguar passed from heart failure yesterday evening. The exact cause of the heart failure remains unknown, however. Junior Buddy was known as the ambassador of his species. Twelve years ago, his mother was brought into the zoo after she killed a number of sheep in the Mennonite area of Springfield. The zoo rehabilitated her, not knowing that she was pregnant with Junior Buddy. After he was born, his mother rejected him, and thus he was raised by members of the zoo. They taught him several tricks, which he enjoyed doing for visitors of the zoo. According to the founding director, Sharon Matola, Junior Buddy will be missed by everyone.