Jaguar’s tapir feast offers rare glimpse at the lives of Argentina’s big cats
A tapir carcass found recently in Argentina’s Forest Reserve San Jorge has helped wildlife officials track down an elusive jaguar that disappeared last October. The name of the “great male” is Aratirí, and the team is elated to report he’s still thriving in the park.
Aratirí can be identified by a connected trio of rosets on his flank. Image: Emilio White/Proyecto Yaguarte
The carcass was initially discovered by officials from Arauco, who work with the local Ministry of Tourism to manage sustainable forestation. A closer look at the remains revealed obvious signs of predation – and whatever had killed this large pig-like herbivore was big.
With signs pointing to a top predator, an alert went out to the team at Proyecto Yaguarte (Project Jaguar), an organisation working to maintain viable jaguar populations in the Atlantic Forest. One of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, the forest spans parts of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
The Project Jaguar team wasted no time before rushing to the scene to set up their camera traps. “A few hours after the team entered to place the high-resolution cameras, we noticed that [Aratirí] had returned to eat the tapir,” Forestry Management official Esteban Carabelli told Misiones.” [translated from Spanish]
Image: Emilio White/Proyecto Yaguarte
Image: Emilio White/Proyecto Yaguarte
Aratirí is one of the largest jaguars known to inhabit the area, and this isn’t the first time one of his tapir feasts has been caught on camera. He was last seen in October of 2015, devouring a similar meal in Iguazú National Park.
“He’s surprised us again with his powerful ability to hunt,” says a statement from Proyecto Yaguarte, who have been keeping as close an eye as possible on Aratirí since he was first spotted in 2010. “These exciting images show [his] important role as a major predator. Not every day can you see jaguars feeding in their natural environment!”