BIOLOGIST RECORDS JAGUAR FIGHT IN THE PANTANAL

Two jaguars (Panthera onca) were caught fighting during a safari at Caiman Farm, home to the Onçafari NGO, located in the Pantanal of Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul.

The footage was captured by Onçafari's photographer and biologist, Giovanna Leite, during a tour with farm guests.

They were observing a male named Formoso when a female jaguar, Aurora, appeared.

According to the biologist, Formoso tried to approach the female, but she rejected his advances. Vocalizing, she attempted to repel the male. With his persistence, a confrontation ensued.

Giovanna recounts that she was very lucky.

This is because it's flood season in the Pantanal, making it difficult to spot jaguars. But she managed to see two at once, and even witnessed them fighting.

"I had never witnessed a situation like that. A male trying to approach a female, and the female not at all receptive; in fact, I felt a huge surge of adrenaline. It was really cool; I was very happy to witness these animals doing this in the wild, displaying such natural behavior in their lives," said the biologist.

"We followed Formoso for a while longer; he was marking his territory a lot, whether to get attention, or to say, 'this territory is mine, no one comes near,' or to attract another female," she concluded.

About Jaguars

The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas and the third largest in the world, surpassed only by the tiger (Panthera tigris) and the lion (Panthera leo).

Considered the "Queens of the Pantanal," they control prey populations and are indispensable to the ecosystems they inhabit, in addition to being indicators of environmental quality.

Currently, due to issues such as deforestation, illegal hunting, and wildfires, the jaguar population in Brazil is decreasing.

Since 2011, Onçafari has been collecting data and gathering information to better understand jaguar behavior and align better strategies for the species' conservation.