These amazing wild cats. Far Eastern leopard or Amur leopard Male lion cubs are trained to hunt late
The Far Eastern leopard is considered the most rare species big cats in the world. It is listed in the Red Book. Today there are about 50 individuals. The Amur leopard lives in Russia and China.
On the territory of Russia, in the Primorsky Territory, approximately 30 Amur leopards live. The rest, a smaller part of the endangered species, is in China. In Russia this type big cats are listed in Category I of the Red Book.
Far Eastern leopard photo, how many are left, where they live, Red Book: reasons for population decline
There are many reasons for the decline in the Amur leopard population. One of them is destruction by timber industry organizations, natural environment habitat of these animals. When there was very little territory left for Amur leopards to live, they began to live near roadways and often became victims of road accidents.
Poaching is another reason why the Amur leopard is listed in the Red Book. The valuable and beautiful fur of this animal was the reason for cruel extermination for many years. Today, hunting these animals is prohibited and is punishable by criminal liability. The Russian authorities have taken Amur leopards under protection in order to protect them from complete extinction.
Far Eastern leopard photo, how many are left, where they live, red book: interesting facts
An interesting fact is that the color of each of the Amur leopards is unique. It is thanks to this feature that specialists can distinguish each individual. These big cats They have a beautiful physique, strong legs, a rounded head and a long tail. As a rule, they hunt small prey. The diet of Amur leopards includes young wild boars, birds, hares and insects.
The claws of these animals are brown in color, and they are white at the tips. To ensure that their sharp claws do not become dull while walking, these cats have special “sheaths” where the claws are retracted. The Amur leopard predominantly leads night look life. As a rule, it hunts in the first half of the night. These big cats mature by the age of 3 and at this age can have offspring.
Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)- the largest tiger in the world. And the only one of the tigers who has mastered life in the snow. No other country in the world has such an asset. Without exaggeration, this is one of the most advanced predators among all others. Unlike the lion, which forms prides (families) and lives through collective hunts, the tiger is a pronounced loner, and therefore requires the highest skill in hunting.
The tiger crowns the top of the food pyramid of a unique ecological system called the Ussuri taiga. Therefore, the state of the tiger population is an indicator of the state of the entire Far Eastern nature.
The Amur tiger conservation project was one of WWF's first serious steps in Russia. Accounting data for 2004/2005 showed that through the joint efforts of state and public environmental organizations Stabilization of the tiger population has been achieved at a level of more than 450 individuals.
And here is the interview with a WWF employee(questions are divided into groups to better perceive the information):
Tiger Population Status
How does Amur tiger monitoring work? How do you distinguish one tiger from another so as not to record the same tiger twice?
Tigers are not seen during counting. Experts are counting their tracks. In order to distinguish one trace from another, a measurement system has been developed and tested in practice. So the accountant is not allowed into the taiga without a tape measure. By correctly measuring the footprint, you can understand whether it is a male or female or a young animal. Then the counting officer determines the freshness of the track and its direction... In a word, in order not to count the same tiger twice, you need to learn a lot. In tiger affairs, tracking is recognized as a science.
Lives in India more tigers than in Russia? Why do you say that the situation with tigers in Russia is better?
According to the most recent data (International Tiger Forum in Kathmandu, 2009), there are 1,400 tigers left in India today. But at the same time, the number of tigers in India six years ago was two times one more time higher! That is, the population is simply melting before our eyes. And Russia is the only tiger range country where numbers have increased significantly since the middle of the last century, and have been relatively stable over the past 10 years. At the same time, Russia today “owns” the largest tiger population in a single range (about 11% of the world population).
How many tigers are there in the world? Where is the situation worst and where is it best?
The situation with the conservation of tigers in on a global scale can be described as catastrophic. Over the past 100 years, the number of this species has decreased by 25 times - from 100 thousand to 4 thousand. At the same time, the number continues to decline. So, in India, where he lives greatest number tigers, their numbers in 1995-2005. decreased from 3.5 thousand to 1.4 thousand. In a number of regions, tigers disappeared completely - Transcaucasia (1930s), Central Asia (1960s), Fr. Bali and o. Java (Indonesia, 1960-1980s). Currently, tigers are preserved in 14 countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, North Korea (not confirmed), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand.
WWF has always said that tiger numbers have stabilized. But I recently read in the media that it is being greatly reduced in last years! This is true?
Yes and no. An analysis of long-term monitoring results shows that in the last four years there has been a steady trend toward a decrease in the number of traces found at survey sites. WWF shares the alarm caused by these results. However, many journalists “stepped up their pitch.” And specific figures appeared that did not correspond to reality. Someone wrote about the reduction by half, and in one of the media there was a phrase “only 36 animals were detected”... Today WWF has completely taken upon itself the burden of financing the next monitoring. In mid-December 2009, monitoring participants had already taken the white path, and our experts will monitor the progress field work at accounting sites.
How many Siberian tigers are left? Is this a lot or a little? How many tigers can live in Russia?
The last frontal census of the Amur tiger took place with the participation of WWF in 2005. He showed that we have about 500 Amur tigers. This is neither more nor less. This is exactly as much as the still uncut areas of the Ussuri taiga can accommodate. WWF plans for the next ten to twelve years to resettle the tiger within its historical range, i.e. return to the places where he once lived, but was then exterminated. Thus, we expect that the number of tigers will increase to 750. However, this is only possible due to an intensive increase in the number of ungulates.
The main enemy of the tiger is the poacher
How do poachers kill tigers? With a gun or setting traps?
We don’t really want to publish something on the WWF website detailed instructions about effective ways prey of the Amur tiger. Let's just say that various traps claim significantly more tiger lives than attempts to find a tiger in the taiga and sneak up on it with a gun. IN Lately Cases of shooting at tigers gaping on the side of the road from a car window have become more frequent.
Why do poachers need a tiger?
The hope is to sell tiger parts to Chinese smugglers. The hope is to sell the tiger skin to rich bigwigs. But the most dangerous thing is simply thoughtlessly shooting at a randomly encountered tiger, not “for what reason,” but “just because.”
Who is fighting poachers now? Far East?
This is one of the most painful and pressing issues! Here are simple and understandable numbers for you.
IN 2002 year, more than 1400 people.
IN 2009 year, the total number of inspectors was halved - to 760 people, and their funding was reduced by more than half.
Currently, responsibility for tiger conservation has been transferred to the constituent entities of the Federation. On the territory of reserves and national parks The tiger is protected by their security services, in non-protected areas - by the Directorate for the Protection, Control and Regulation of the Use of Fauna of the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. WWF provides assistance to all these government agencies.
Is it true that China has the death penalty for killing a tiger? So no one kills him there?
It is not that simple. Deep in China, the severity of the punishment is at work. But in the strip bordering Russia, the poor and hungry local Chinese population is installing tens of thousands of poaching snares. And the noose is blind. She indiscriminately strangles both deer and tiger.
Who is helping the wounded tiger now and how? Who is treating him? What about orphan tiger cubs? Is it possible to release them later?
The Tiger Special Inspectorate is responsible for this. Every winter, five or six orphaned tiger cubs end up in trouble. They are caught and transferred to the Utes Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Is not government agency. It does not receive any funding for such work. Therefore, the costs of treatment and rehabilitation of tiger cubs are covered by charitable organizations. If rehabilitation is carried out according to all the rules, the tiger can be returned to the wild. During the existence of the Tiger Special Inspectorate, two adult cured tigers and four orphaned tiger cubs, raised without a mother, were released into the taiga. W WF has been insisting on the creation of a STATE rehabilitation center for many years. And recently such a decision was finally made.
Tiger Lunch
Can a tiger fish?
Not only fish, but also crayfish.
Domestic cats eat grass, some like vegetables and fruits. You cannot feed a cat meat alone. Tell me, does a tiger eat anything else besides meat?
The tiger knows medicinal herbs well and uses them when necessary.
Why does WWF say that we need to save the cedar tree in order to save the tiger? Does a tiger really eat pine nuts?
Cedar is the breadfruit tree of the Ussuri taiga. The number of wild boars directly depends on the harvest of pine nuts. And the boar is the basis food base tiger
How much does a tiger eat in a year?
According to experts, one tiger needs to eat at least fifty adult ungulates per year.
What animals does a tiger eat?
Actually, a tiger eats everything that is smaller than it. From the Manchurian hare, which is the size of a glove, to Himalayan bear, which can be equal in weight to a tiger. However, the basis of its diet consists of ungulates: wild boar, wapiti, sika deer and roe deer.
Good question. Hunters usually ask us this question. But many years of research have shown that the tiger is the “softest” predator, which is simply not able to seriously reduce the number of ungulates. Where hunters have seriously begun to raise game numbers to a new level with the help of various biotechnical measures, tiger numbers also begin to increase. However, soon the number of tigers living in this “supermarket” becomes stable, and the ungulates continue to increase. But where the tiger disappeared, a wolf instantly comes. The wolf, unlike the tiger, knows how and can seriously undermine the number of ungulates.
Tiger and man
Do tigers differentiate between good and evil people, poachers and forest rangers? Or maybe we all look the same to them?
There are reliable cases where a wounded tiger for a long time and purposefully pursued the very person who shot at him. So we are not all the same to him...
In places where tigers live, they attack domestic animals, livestock, and even people. What is being done to protect people from the tiger?
Responsibility for resolving all conflict situations between humans and tigers rests with government agency- Special inspection "Tiger". Initially, the animal is scared away. If this does not work, they are caught and transported to areas remote from people. Only in case of direct mortal danger Shooting is allowed for human life.
What to do if you meet a tiger in the forest? Should I run away or, on the contrary, freeze and stand still?
Do not run away under any circumstances. Otherwise, the tiger will react to you like your kitten to a paper wrapper on a string. It is recommended to slowly, without turning your back to the animal, clear the way for it and move away. The human voice is very helpful. But only if it is a calm and confident human voice. If you are not sure that a pig squeal will not pour out of you, it is better not to open your mouth.
Is it possible to tame a tiger if you start from childhood so that it becomes friends with a person? Or is he too wild animal, which cannot be completely trusted, but only trained and kept in a cage?
A cat is also a cat in the taiga. After all, admit it, even your domestic pussy is sure that she is the mistress of the house, and you are simply in her service. What can we say about a cat weighing nearly two hundred kilograms? We do not recommend experimenting.
Tiger House
WWF doesn't want to breed tigers in other regions of Russia - for example, in Kamchatka or in the Moscow region?
The Amur tiger is the only tiger subspecies that has learned to live in the snow. And yet he remains a southerner - the height of the snow cover is the most important limiting factor for the tiger. The tiger is historically tied to a very specific climatic region- the south of the Far East. And any attempts to settle it, for example, in deep-snow Kamchatka, are doomed to failure. But that's not even the main thing. In the past, during the times of socialism, there were many attempts to acclimatize various animals (raccoon dog in Europe, American mink in the Far East, etc.) where they had never lived. Time has shown that all these experiments only harmed the local nature. Today such “improvisations” are prohibited.
Are there any excursions to nature reserves where you can see the Amur tiger in wildlife?
Seeing a wild Amur tiger in the wild Ussuri taiga is crazy luck even for those who study them from morning to evening. And the animal is extremely secretive, and the taiga is completely impenetrable. So if you are miraculously lucky, you might see it. But not a single nature reserve guarantees you such a meeting. To film a few minutes of a tiger in the Lazovsky Nature Reserve, the Korean television company had to live in the taiga for two and a half years...
Do tigers live only in nature reserves? Can a tiger live near the city?
Unfortunately, protected areas occupy only 20% of the tiger's range. The remaining eighty percent are areas where hunting and logging are permitted. Tiger tracks are regularly found in the dacha suburbs of Vladivostok, Ussuriysk and Khabarovsk. In a word, today the tiger has populated ALL the territory where there is at least some forest left. But at the same time, according to radio tracking data of tagged tigers, competition for the right to get an “apartment” in the reserve is deadly tough.
How much space does one tiger need?
A female usually needs 20 square kilometers of deep taiga. The male requires much more - up to 100 square kilometers. Usually, the individual plot of one male accommodates the plots of two or three females with tiger cubs. If there is a lot of food, that is, ungulates, then up to four females can live in the same territory.
How long is a tiger's tail and other general questions about tigers
What is the difference between Amur, Ussuri and Siberian tigers?
They are no different. The official name of our tiger is Amur tiger. However, for foreigners, everything that lies east side from the Urals - this is Siberia. Therefore in American scientific literature our Amur tiger is listed as Sibirian Tiger. The term “Ussuri tiger” was introduced at their own risk by Channel 2 correspondents when they were preparing a report on Vladimir Putin’s participation in a project to study Amur tigers in the Ussuri Nature Reserve. But the beast is actually the same. And he doesn’t even know about this linguistic leapfrog with its name.
What is the difference in character between a tiger and a leopard?
All cats are very similar in their behavior. Tiger and leopard are no exception. However, the leopard is more flexible; it manages to live very close to a person, never catching his eye. The tiger can't do that. To be happy, he needs the deep, deserted taiga.
What is the relationship between a female and a male tiger after the birth of a cub?
A tiger meets with a female for only two to three days. And, having done his male thing, he leaves her until the moment when his children grow up and are ready to start independent life, that is, for about two years. The father does not participate in any way in feeding and raising the offspring. So all worries about children fall on the fragile shoulders of the female.
What is the length of the tail of the largest and smallest tigers?
The largest - Amur tigers - have a tail length of up to 115 cm. The smallest - Sumatran - 60-90 cm.
How many teeth does a tiger have?
Like all cats in the world, the tiger has 30 teeth.
What is the life expectancy of a tiger?
IN ideal conditions At the zoo, Amur tigers easily live up to twenty years. In the real wild taiga life Not every tiger manages to live to ten. The life of females, as a rule, is shorter than that of males, because the incredible strength and vital energy they have to spend not on themselves, but on raising their offspring.
Does a tiger have the same number of stripes throughout its life or does it change with age? Tigers in different countries do they look different from each other?
The pattern of stripes on a tiger not only does not change, it serves as a reliable individual sign, like fingerprints on a person. No two tigers have the same stripe configuration. This is the basis of the photo accounting method.
The number and configuration of black stripes on the skin vary in different geographical areas and serves as one of the grounds for distinguishing subspecies of the tiger. The number of which reaches 100.
Ours, the Amur tiger, is distinguished by thick, long (compared to other subspecies) and fluffy fur, with a duller red background and fewer stripes than other subspecies. The Indochinese tiger, for example, has a darker overall coloration, while the Sumatran tiger is considered the brightest.
Can tigers purr?
In fact, science says that large cats are deprived of the ability to purr like domestic cats, that is, to vibrate both when exhaling and inhaling. But, you will laugh without knowing it scientific research Because of their hard cartilage, which supposedly interferes with vibration, Amur tigers still purr in a good mood.
Can tigers climb trees?
It is believed that adult Amur tigers are unable to climb trees. However, there are reliable cases where a tiger easily and naturally climbed to the tops of huge fir trees or into the crowns of old oak trees. If he really needs it, he can do it. Keep this in mind.
Take care and love tigers and all other animals
The material was taken from the site " World Fund wildlife"
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The basis of its diet is ungulates - Siberian roe deer and sika deer, but sometimes the leopard can also feast on small animals, such as a raccoon dog, a badger or a hare. This will not be difficult for him, since this animal has perfectly developed hearing and vision. A leopard is able to detect very high sounds - with a frequency of up to 80 kilohertz (while a person hears only sounds with a frequency of up to 20 kilohertz). The spotted cat prefers to hunt at night, although sometimes it pursues prey during the day.
Interestingly, despite their predatory nature, leopards do not attack livestock that may wander into their territory. However, you should not come to the reserve with your pets: caretakers warn that these cats actively attack stray dogs.
It is worth noting that Far Eastern leopards are very peaceful, and throughout history there has not been a single case of a predator attacking a person. And young individuals, when meeting a person by chance, are in no hurry to run away, studying him with interest.
The spotted color of each predator is unique, like human fingerprints - scientists use it to distinguish these cats from each other. A motley (or camouflage) pattern covers the entire body; there are single spots on the head and paws, and on the sides, back and tail they form rings, so-called rosettes.
In general, these cats prefer to live alone. Each leopard has its own territory, through which the predator regularly moves to leave its marks. The only exceptions are females raising offspring. They live with their kittens until they reach adulthood, teaching them hunting and other useful skills for independent living.
Far Eastern leopards differ from their southern counterparts only in their thicker fur, since they have to face harsher weather conditions. This is not surprising, because the habitat of these predators is in the southwest of Primorsky Krai and on the Russian border with China.
The terrain in which wild cats live dictates its own conditions: the forests and mountainous terrain of the Far East force the leopard to be very mobile and dexterous. The spotted predator can jump to a height of at least 5 meters to drag its prey up a tree, the weight of which can be twice its own.
Leopards move with ease not only through trees. Territories with rugged terrain, hills with steep rocky slopes are their native element, so these cats can be considered natural climbers.
Historically, leopards also lived on the Korean Peninsula, in the eastern provinces of China and the southern part of Sikhote-Alin (Primorsky Krai). The reason for the decrease in the population of spotted predators was the destruction of habitats, a reduction in food supply, poaching and the development of infrastructure in the region. Currently, these cats are the rarest subspecies of leopard, with about 80 individuals living in the wild and more than 200 predators in zoos around the world.
The restoration of the Far Eastern leopard population in Russia began in 2011, it was then that the autonomous non-profit organization Far Eastern Leopards was created, the supervisory board of which is headed by Sergei Ivanov, special representative of the President Russian Federation on environmental issues, ecology and transport.
The main goal of the Far Eastern Leopards ANO is the study, conservation and restoration of the spotted population. In 2012, by decree of the government of the Russian Federation, it was formed in Primorye. And in 2013, an amendment was made to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, providing for criminal penalties for the illegal hunting, keeping, transportation and sale of especially valuable wild animals, including the Far Eastern leopard.
Concern for the conservation of the leopard is shown both in Russia and abroad. In the Red Book of the Russian Federation, it belongs to category I as a rare, critically endangered subspecies with an extremely limited range, the main population of which is located within Russia. The Far Eastern leopard is also included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Species wild fauna and endangered flora (CITES). Leopard hunting has been prohibited since 1956.
Although a rare subspecies of leopards can be found in the Far East of our country, as well as in northern China. This subspecies is called the Far Eastern Amur leopard. It is also known as the Amur leopard.
This predator was listed in the Red Book. It belongs to a subspecies that is on the verge of extinction. The population of the Far Eastern leopard today is in critical condition.
At the same time, the fact that the Amur tiger - its famous “cousin” - has increased its population size gives hope for the preservation of this subspecies. There is an opinion that the Amur leopard, the photo of which is presented in this article, can be saved through the implementation of various environmental projects.
Description of the breed
This leopard has many distinctive features from other felines. IN summer period the wool reaches 2.5 centimeters in length, and in winter it is replaced by 7 centimeters. In cold weather, the Amur leopard has light color wool with a reddish-yellow tint; in summer, richer and brighter tones predominate.
The Far Eastern Amur leopard (photos of the animal are presented in this article) has long legs that allow it to walk freely in the snow. At the same time, the weight of males reaches 48 kg, although there are also more major representatives breeds - 60 kg. Females weigh up to 43 kg.
Habitat
At the beginning of the 20th century, the leopard was found in the south of Sikhote-Alin, as well as in the southwestern part, although in recent years it has not been reliably recorded there. Currently, the Amur leopard lives in the mountain forest areas of the southwestern part of the Primorsky Territory, where it has a clear preference for pine-black fir-broad-leaved forests. It is less willing to colonize especially pyrogenic oak forests, the area of which is increasing due to annual fires.
This representative of the cat family selects territories with steep slopes of hills, rugged terrain, watersheds and rocky outcrops. Its range has now been reduced to a critical size and covers only a limited mountain forest area of 15 thousand km² (in Primorye, from the Razdolnaya River, as well as on the border with the DPRK and the PRC).
Historical distribution
Today, the distribution of the subspecies has been reduced to a small fraction of its historical original range. Initially, the Far Eastern leopard lived throughout the northeastern part of Manchuria, in the provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, including, in addition, on the Korean Peninsula.
and reproduction
The Amur leopard reaches sexual maturity at the age of 3 years. In the wild, life expectancy is about 15 years, while in captivity it is 20 years. The Amur leopard's mating season occurs in the spring. A litter includes 1-4 cubs. At the age of three months, they are weaned, while the cubs gain independence at 1.5 years, leaving their mother to later lead a solitary life.
Social structure
The Amur leopard (pictures of it are presented in this article) prefers a solitary nocturnal lifestyle. But some males may stay with their females after mating and also help raise the young. It often happens that several males simultaneously pursue one female and also fight for the opportunity to mate with her.
Nutrition
The basis of its diet consists of roe deer, raccoon dogs, hares, small wild boars, badgers, and sika deer.
Main threats
The Far Eastern Amur leopard lost more than 80% of its habitat between 1970 and 1983. The main reasons turned out to be fires, the forestry industry, and the transformation of land for agriculture. But all is not lost. At the moment there are animals suitable for living forested areas. It is possible to protect territories from the harmful influence of humans, in addition, to increase the population size.
Lack of loot
It should be noted that in China there are vast areas of suitable habitat, but the level of food supply here is insufficient to maintain the population at the required level. The volume of production may increase due to the regulation of forest use by the population, as well as the adoption of measures to protect ungulates. To survive, the Far Eastern leopard needs to repopulate its original habitat.
Illegal trade and poaching
The Amur leopard is constantly hunted illegally because of its spotted and beautiful fur. In 1999, an undercover investigation team conducted an experiment: they were able to recreate the skin of a male and female Far Eastern leopard, after which they sold it for $500 and $1000.
This experiment demonstrates that there are illegal markets for such products and they are located near animal habitats. Villages and Agriculture surrounded by forests where these animals live. This creates accessibility to forests, and poaching is a more serious problem here than in regions remote from people. This circumstance applies to both leopards and other animals that are destroyed for money and food.
Conflict with a person
It should be noted that the Amur leopard (photos of the animal are admired for its beauty) is especially vulnerable, since part of its diet consists of deer. The human contribution to the overall decline in the number of deer, due to the value of its antlers, prevents the leopard from obtaining sufficient food.
Due to the decline in deer populations, leopards often enter reindeer herding farms in search of food. The owners of these lands often kill animals to protect their investments.
Inbreeding
The Amur leopard is also in danger of extinction due to its small population, which makes it vulnerable to a variety of disasters, including diseases, Forest fires, changes in mortality and fertility rates, sex ratios, inbreeding depression. It should be noted that in nature there were also observed family ties, which means this can lead to various genetic problems, including a decrease in fertility.
Similar matings occur in certain populations of large cats, although outbreeding is not allowed in small populations. Studies have demonstrated that the average number of offspring of an adult female has decreased significantly.
Unfortunately, at the moment the situation with Amur leopard can be considered truly catastrophic - for example, over the past twenty years, its habitat area in our country has almost halved, while its number has decreased by several dozen times. Due to this, the Amur leopard is protected today.
She classified the animal in the first category as a rare animal, which is on the verge of extinction, with a very limited range, whose main population is located within our country. At the same time, the leopard was included in the Appendix of the First CITES Convention and in the Red Book of the Union for Conservation of Nature.
Jaguars– lat. Panthera onca, belong to the subfamily big cats, are representatives of the class mammals. Jaguar - most interesting representative cat family. This largest predator of all cats.
Structure
His characteristic distinctive features- this is a muscular powerful body with short legs, a large head, not much a long tail(45-75 cm), short thick hair and, of course, a specific color - from sand to bright red. Black spots on the skin of a jaguar have various shapes- both solid, and rings, and rosettes, the belly and throat are white, like inner side paw The jaguar is similar in color to a leopard, but it itself is larger (body length from 120 to 185 cm excluding the tail), the head is larger, and the tail is shorter. Female jaguars are slightly smaller than males.
Habitat
The habitat of jaguars has now significantly decreased. If earlier they could be found both in Central and in South America, then now we are talking about South America, southern Mexico, Brazil, Argentina. They were practically exterminated in El Salvador and Uruguay. Unfortunately, it was precisely because of their beautiful skin and the skills of a good hunter that the population has greatly decreased. Somewhere they were shot for another fur coat, and somewhere livestock was saved from them. Jaguars prefer to live in tropical rain forests, but can sometimes be found in the mountains and on the coast, where they like to dig up turtle eggs.
Character, lifestyle and nutrition of jaguars
The jaguar is a solitary predator by nature. You can only meet a pair of these animals during the mating period. The hunting grounds of these cats extend from 25 to 100 km, depending on the amount of game present. Jaguars are quite friendly towards their relatives, so hunting zones may overlap somewhere. At the same time, jaguars do not like other representatives of the cat family. This predator prefers to hunt either before sunrise or after sunset. During the daytime, jaguars rest in some cool cave. The main technique in hunting is an ambush near the drinking trails of animals. They often set up an ambush in trees, from where with one powerful leap they knock their prey down and grab onto its neck. It is not for nothing that the name “jaguar” means a beast that kills with one leap. It is this fatal jump for the victim that is enough to fracture the cervical vertebrae. In hunting, the jaguar is helped by its short legs, thanks to which it climbs trees well, as well as its ability to swim, which leaves the victim no chance of salvation even in the water. The jaguar cannot boast of great speed, and therefore usually does not try to catch up with the runaway animal. This predator hunts ungulates such as mazam deer, loves tapirs and capybaras, but will not refuse monkeys, foxes, birds and even (despite their strong shell). Sometimes jaguars are not averse to hunting livestock. The animal eats the caught prey in one or two passes, and does not return to it again, since jaguars do not like to eat carrion.
Reproduction
As such mating season jaguars do not isolate it; it can be present at any time. After mating, after about 100 days, the female brings 1-4 kittens weighing on average 800 g. Small jaguars are under the protection of the female until the age of two, after which they gradually find their hunting territory and begin an independent life. These live beautiful predators on average about twenty years. Despite the fact that jaguars reproduce well in captivity, their population today is very small and requires careful treatment.
Class – mammals (mammalia)
Order – carnivores (carnivora)
Family – felines (felidae)
Subfamily – big cats (pantherinae)
Genus – panthers (panthera)
Species – jaguar (panthera onca)
