Jaguar who turned into Jaws
Sneaky big cat swims across river and then pounces on reptile basking on a sandbank
How hungry do you have to be before fighting a caiman sounds like a good idea? In the Pantanal, Brazil's eastern wetlands, the answer seems to be "about average."
The photos show a stealthy jaguar slowly emerge from undergrowth behind a yacare caiman that's busy sunning itself on the opposite side of a stretch of river. Undeterred by the water, the jaguar slips into the river, sneaks up behind the caiman, and attacks.
"He lifted the 150lb caiman from the ground and trotted toward the water like it was a doggie bone," Black told the Daily Mail. "The fact he attacked from the water is astonishing ... It was reminiscent of crocs attacking land animals in Africa."
Panthera, a wild cat conservation group, reports Brazil's Pantanal is home to the highest density of jaguars in the world. National Geographic lists the animal as "near threatened," noting the creature is often targeted by hunters, as well as ranchers who see the cats as a threat to livestock.
Hunt: This jaguar was filmed launching a ferocious attack on a caiman as it basked in the sun in western Brazil. Above, the animal crouches down as it plans its attack
Stealth: The 20-stone cat stalked the reptile while it lay on a sandbank by the Cuiaba River in the Pantanal Wetlands. Above, the jaguar glides silently across the river
In danger: The cat, nicknamed 'Mick Jaguar' by biologists in the region, is captured approaching the small island, while the Yacare caiman relaxes leisurely in the sun
Killing: This is the dramatic moment a male jaguar sneaks up behind a Yacare caiman before it launches a ferocious attack
Panic: As the jaguar attacks, the caiman attempts to make an escape
Brutal: Photographer Justin Black, 39, who witnessed the attack, said: 'He lifted the 150lb caiman from the ground and trotted toward the water like it was a doggie bone'
Vicious: The battle-scarred jaguar is estimated to be seven years old. He is almost blind in his right eye, which is believed to be due to battles defending his territory
Savage: Following the struggle, the powerful jaguar could be seen clinging onto the Yacare caiman with its strong teeth, before whisking the leathery creature away
Victorious: According to scientists, there are an estimated 4,000-7,000 Jaguars in the Pantanal Wetlands. Above, the victorious cat drags the caiman through the river
Jaguars are starting to become a tourist pull in this area of the Pantanal because they can be regularly seen in broad daylight.
Elsewhere, jaguars are often hunted and tend to be shy and reclusive, making them much harder to see in the wild.
Biologist Charles Munn from the Jaguar Research Centre predicts that in 2013, 4,000 people will come to see the caiman-hunting jaguars.
The scientist believes this could rise to almost 100,000 eco-tourists per year in 2025 and eclipse sports fishing as the biggest tourist pull in in wetlands - which span an area the size of the UK.
He added "My goal is to use sustainable, exciting Jaguar tourism to stabilise land-use and protect forests in half of the Pantanal, which offers the most extraordinary wildlife spectacle in the Americas.'
There are estimated to be between 50,000 to 100,000 jaguars in the wild throughout South America
