A rescued jaguar at Alpine’s Lions, Tigers, & Bears wildlife sanctuary had a difficult start, but now he has a new home and a good job — predicting the winner of the 2024 Super Bowl.
As a crowd watched Sunday morning, Eddie sniffed at two boxes in his enclosure — one with the Kansas City Chiefs logo emblazoned on it, and one bearing the logo for the San Francisco 49ers, each containing hunks of chicken and beef.
He made his way to the San Francisco 49ers box first, cementing his prediction.
Eddie the jaguar was bred in captivity by wildlife traffickers, his life a series of hotel rooms until he was sold as a pet — then, just a few weeks later, abandoned at the sanctuary’s gates.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service later filed a criminal complaint against two people involved in the exotic animal trade. They were later prosecuted.
Eddie, who is about two and a half years old, will now live out the rest of his life at Lions, Tigers, & Bears.
“As a healthy young jaguar, he is thriving in our sanctuary environment and we are relieved to be able to provide him with a permanent lifetime home,” said a statement from the big-animal sanctuary.
“Eddie will need a lifetime of care, including a species-specific diet, enrichment and veterinary care as he continues to grow and develop.”
