Jaguar plays with stick in a waterhole. We found a jaguar and one of her 18 month old male cubs in a tree next to a waterhole at Caiman Ecological Refuge. The whereabouts of her second male cub was not known. As we tried to get into a position to see the mother and cub in the dense foliage of the tree, we spotted the second cub wallowing in the waterhole! The cubs are close to becoming independent and are about the same size as their mother.
We repositioned to watch the Jaguar in the waterhole. He put on a great display for us! He dived under the water and emerged with a stick. This turned out to be a great plaything. He played with it for quite some time. Each time he submerged with it he would reappear and give a great shake of his head sending a spiral of droplets through the air. The dark background made this spray stand out nicely. A superb encounter as a Jaguar plays with a stick in a waterhole.
The jaguars of the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, are notable for their distinctive appearance and vital ecological role. Characterised by their powerful build, thick, muscular bodies, and iconic rosette-patterned coat, these magnificent big cats are the largest in the Americas and the third largest in the world. A male jaguar can measure up to 2.5m in length and weigh 130kg. Jaguars are incredibly agile swimmers, often found navigating the region’s numerous rivers and lagoons in search of prey like capybaras, caimans, and deer. They have an extremely strong bite force which allows it to pierce through the skull to produce a fatal injury to the brain. As apex predators, they play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of their ecosystem, making their conservation vital for the region’s biodiversity.
Caiman Ecological Refuge is a private ranch extending to 53,000 hectares in the southern Pantanal. Which includes a private reserve which is protected in perpetuity for nature conservation. The enlightened owner has combined cattle ranching with wildlife conservation. Of key importance is the organisation, Onçafari, an NGO with a research centre on the property which engages in high quality research on Jaguars and other species. Onçafari has also habituated many Jaguars thus enabling wildlife ecotourism which benefits the wildlife conservation efforts but also provides employment, income and support for the local communities. A win-win situation.