One of the Jaguars on display at the Brevard Zoo. According to National Geographic, “These beautiful and powerful beasts were prominent in ancient Native American cultures. In some traditions the Jaguar God of the Night was the formidable lord of the underworld. The name jaguar is derived from the Native American word yaguar, which means ‘he who kills with one leap.’” A resident of the Americas, the Jaguar population is decreasing throughout its entire range.