Blue bow at the Naples zoo: a black jaguar cub has been named Romelu in honor of Lukaku, Napoli striker.
With the arrival of Romelu, the jaguar Victor, born in the year of the championship, was 'sold' to the Casablanca zoo.“The birth of Romelu is a significant event,” he explained Fiorella Saggese, zoological curator, to the Anasa news agency. “The jaguar is classified as 'Near Threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due to habitat loss and poaching.
“Romelu is under the care of health director Pasquale Silvestre, the zoo staff and his mother Ananga, who, like the cub, is melanistic, displaying a black coat instead of the typical spots.
“We are all involved in this happy event,” says Giuseppe Manna, director of the zoo. “We expect many visitors to come during the All Saints’ Day long weekend for Romelu’s public debut.” In the meantime, Romelu posed for photos with Gabriele, a zookeeper and Napoli fan, as evidenced by the tattoo of the third Scudetto on his arm.
For now we can still hold him in our arms,” says Gabriele, “even if he is starting to leave some scratches with his claws. In a few weeks, what now seems like just a big black cat will become one of the most lethal predators in the world.”
This is underlined by the powerful roar of mother Ananga calling her little Romelu from the cage.
Article published on 31 October 2024 - 10:01
