Animal Strength Feats

[Balam]

Researcher witnesses one jaguar dragging a 500 kg bull carcass:

"A tucura bull weighing more than 500 kg had been run over by a truck the previous day, and the carcass had been left over the embankment of the road. With the Kombi headlights on, I was looking for the bull's carcass, when I realized that it was no longer on the road. Curious, I stopped the car and saw that it had been dragged, descending the ravine about 3 m from the elevated bed of the road, breaking the bush vegetation along the way. Finding this strange, I searched the road with the light from the lighthouse and my flashlight, and soon found footprints from a large male of jaguar, who was certainly responsible for the displacement of the carcass. Illuminating with the flashlight, I saw that the carcass had been dragged to a smooth, four-wire wire fence, which was in the process of being built, precisely to prevent free access of cattle to the road, on its west side, within the lands of Fazenda Jofre (at the time, owned by Geraldo Gouveia). On the other side of the fence there was a bush, where the jaguar was certainly looking at me at that moment. Excited and curious, I thought it best to come back later, in daylight, to collect more information. When I completed the 6 hour shift of observing alligators, I went back there and got a better look at what had happened. There were some vultures perched on nearby trees, but since none were on the ground, I could conclude that the jaguar was nearby. The carcass was no longer in the same position, the predator tried to drag it under the last wire of the fence, about 40 cm from the ground, in the process breaking one of the bull's horns - you could imagine the strength needed for that. ! Some 15 to 20 kilos of meat from the forequarters and breast had already been consumed. As at that time there was still little transit through the Transpantaneira, it was quite evident that the male had eaten in the carcass still exposed, in broad daylight. At the end of the afternoon, when I passed the place again, the jaguar had managed to pass that huge carcass under the fence, and dragged it another 15 meters west, into the forest capon, thereby creating a tunnel through the tangled vegetation. The vultures were still perched on the trees, and as it was getting dark, I thought it best not to get any closer. I stopped again the next morning and as there were one or two vultures risking to land on the ground, outside the capon, I reached the tunnel entrance and forced my eyes, trying to see through the shadows, in the shadows inside the forest. More to control the "chill in the belly" and the hair on the back of the neck, I started talking to the jaguar, in case she was there, in a low tone, trying to keep my voice steady. As I was asking questions that were puzzling me (Are you still around? Don't get me wrong, but I would like you to answer a few questions… You don't have to worry, I won't steal your carcass… I just want to know how much you ate, and which parts you eat the most. like…) I was getting closer, meter by meter, clapping my hands from time to time. From the almost palpable tension I felt in the air, I'm sure he was there! The carcass was about 10-12 meters further in the center of the small island of forest and, stretching my neck, I could see that the viscera had been removed and at least another 10 to 15 kg of meat eaten, advancing to the part posterior of the bull. I repeated the visit and the procedures yet again, having to return to Poconé, the next day, due to commitments made. But even today I remember the electrifying and extremely beneficial moments that these circumstances provided me!"

By Fernando Tortato (collaboration with Rafael Hoogesteijn)

Original link in Portuguese:https://www.oeco.org.br/blogs/rastro-de-onca/28928-um-rodizio-para-as-oncas/ Reply