Man attacked by jaguar while saving dogs in the Pantanal
Valdinei Pereira, 57, was rescued by the Fire Department after being attacked by a jaguar (Panthera onca) while trying to save three dogs. One of them was his pet dog.
The attack took place in the Mirante da Capivara region, in Corumbá.
According to the firefighters, the jaguar attacked three dogs. It devoured two of them, one being the victim’s own dog.
The third dog attacked was taken for veterinary care.
According to Valdinei’s statement, two of his dogs had already been attacked by the jaguar days earlier.
Valdinei told the firefighters that he was injured while defending his dog during the jaguar’s attack.
The victim, who works as a doorman, was leaving for work when he came across the situation and tried to rescue the dogs from the attack.
According to the victim, when it encountered him, the jaguar knocked him down and struck him with a paw to the face.
“I was taken by surprise and so was she (the jaguar). She didn’t come to attack me, she came after the dogs. When I arrived, she came toward me and still had one of the dogs with her,” Valdinei said.
According to the Fire Department, the team was only called in the morning, hours after the attack.
“We received the call around 8:30 a.m. When we arrived at the location, the firefighters found that the incident had occurred the previous night,” said Fire Department Lieutenant Hélio dos Santos.
After being struck by the jaguar, Valdinei called his sister for help but hid the information about the attack so as not to scare her.
The doorman only said that he had been slapped and was injured. For this reason, rescue was only called the following morning.
Valdinei was rescued with multiple injuries. He had a wound to the frontal region of his head, a cut on his nose, an injury to his right eye, and severe pain in the chest area.
The man was conscious and alert but had lost a lot of blood. He was taken to the Municipal Emergency Room for medical care.
The appearance of jaguars in urban environments is related to environmental impacts. With the wildfires, many wild animals died, causing jaguars to seek food in the city and attack domestic animals.
Most sightings of the animal occur during the Pantanal flood season.
“We have a number of incidents, but they are mostly related to attacks on dogs. Corumbá has a history of this, especially during the flood season,” explained Colonel Rabelo, of the Military Police.
According to Fabiane Gonçalves, environmental analyst at IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), environmental institutions and researchers have intensified measures that were already being taken regarding the appearance of jaguars in the municipality.
Recurring deterrent measures have been reinforced, such as installing luminous repellents and monitoring cameras. Authorities are also assessing the need to capture and relocate the feline.
In addition, awareness campaigns for residents have been strengthened.
IBAMA recommends:
- Use of luminous repellents
- Proper waste collection
- Not leaving domestic animals exposed as easy prey
Valdinei’s case is the second jaguar attack on people recorded in Mato Grosso do Sul in 2025.
In April, caretaker Jorge Avalo, 60, died after being attacked by a jaguar.
Read more about Jorge Avalo’s case:
Man Killed in Jaguar Attack
https://pantanalagency.news/listing/man-killed-in-jaguar-attack/
Jaguar Suspected of Killing Man is Captured
https://pantanalagency.news/listing/jaguar-suspected-of-killing-man-is-captured/
Jaguar Attack Victim’s Body Found
https://pantanalagency.news/listing/jaguar-attack-victims-body-found/
Residents of Corumbá have also spotted jaguars in the city’s urban area. The Environmental Police and IBAMA have carried out patrols to prevent attacks.
Read more:
Corumbá implements patrols in response to jaguar sightings
https://pantanalagency.news/listing/corumba-implements-patrols-in-response-to-jaguar-sightings/