Jaguar Facts

The jaguar is the largest cat in the New World; the largest males can weigh over 160 kgs, being as large as an African lioness and having a much stronger bite. They are not picky about what they eat; anything goes, from turtle eggs to anacondas and caimans, and once in a while (although rarely, compared to other big cats) they have been known to attack humans too.

But according to natives in the Amazonian rainforest, one of the jaguar’s favorite foods is fish. In order to obtain it, they say, the jaguar has developed a clever trick. It taps the water surface with its tail to mimic a waterlogged insect or fallen, floating fruit. Fish soon swim to the surface to investigate the lure and the jaguar then scoops them out of the water with its paw. This makes the jaguar, according to natives, “the most cunning animal in the forest”.

Although this behavior has been reported since 1830 by many different authors (always based on accounts of the natives), it has seemingly never been observed by scientists, and therefore cannot be confirmed as fact.