Animal Strength Feats

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(06-09-2020, 04:09 PM)OncaAtrox Wrote: 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/

I assume, that there are no photos from this place and situation? When I read this, one thing what I noticed is, that it´s said that this bull was hit by a car on elevated bed of the road and carcass was left on the embankment. So it has been very easy to drag downhill, depending a bit of terrain, but there is said to have been vegetation, which means most probably grass, wet grass helps a lot in dragging something heavy on it. One, which is good to notice is, that timeline is something like 1-2 days and same time description tells, that jaguar was able to drag that carcass maybe 20-30 meters and the beginning has been very easy terrain. 

I dare to say this, because I have been dragging myself with my friend a carcass of a big male moose (400-500 kg easily) from the road after collision. It was very easy to drag on tarmac, so we dragged it on the side of the road. Fur and tarmac had almost no friction. It was also elevated bed of the road, we could have, without any doubt, dragged it down the embankment and let it slide down. In that case we would have dragged it instead 5 meters something like 10-15 meters in a few seconds.... impressive what comes to strength... nope, it was far too easy. It felt like nothing really when we got that carcass moving, it slid so easily.

Anyway without knowing the terrain ( Was there a ditch maybe? Or could jaguar drag the carcass down the embankment and then continue on flat terrain?) it´s difficult to say too much. Terrain matters quite a lot based on different clips, which I´ve seen of different big cats dragging. Also jaguars can be seen to struggle with carcasses clearly bigger than themselves showing, that it´s hard work.That horn thing doesn´t impress me too much because this animal had been hit by a car before. 

All in all, on even ground and downhill predators can drag quite big carcasses overall depending somewhat of the terrain. The bigger the carcass is, it changes to more and more difficult and slow, in that way also this case is in the line with other cases with any decent reliability. 

To give an example how much terrain can help, here one video of jaguar dragging. 0:50 forward and again 1:20 forward it can be seen how easy it can be in suitable ground. That jaguar needs just to give a good yank and carcass can be seen sliding on the grass. With decent rhythm on that kind of terrain that carcass could be dragged long distances in relatively short time if no uphill. I think, that for us people it could and would be even easier, because we can take a grip from hind leg and start to pull and then walk in steady pace keeping steady pull and capitalizing it, that no friction between carcass and grass.

This is another jaguar dragging video, terrain is even but less slippery. From 0:35 forward happens the dragging, this time jaguar needs to drag more. Not the most difficult terrain, but also not giving it all free, there is strength, no question about it. Question is always about it, that how much really :)

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