Jaguar rambling
I started writing an email, and decided it was dated and no one probably cared, but I had already written quite a bit... and I write so rarely anymore, I decided to maintain it for posterity...
Without question the most stunning display of cross species adoption behavior I have seen was on a documentary about big cats. I’m sorta a junky, I watch anything big cat related that I can.
Anyway, there was this pack of baboon’s that regularly terrorized this young Jaguar female. The attacks were almost always inspired by a single female baboon who would hoot and shout and throw things and get the whole troop riled up (not unlike some people I’ve met).
Generally this Jaguar would just be walking by, or stalking prey near the troop. One evening, that female baboon was 100 feet or so from the rest of the troop, sitting in the twilight with her back to the woods. The jaguar couldn’t have resisted even if they HADN’T been nemeses. She stalked up and killed the baboon, (which face to face would have at least had a fighting chance), with terrible speed.
The as she tore and pawed the carcass (I don’t believe the rest of the troop even realized what happened), a little baby baboon squeaked and rolled out from the recesses of its mother’s bosom.
The cat just stopped cold for a second. Completely snapped out of her rage instantly, and just nosed and poked the infant.
The she picked it up, as casual as anything, and took it back to her tree. The baboonlet was scared for a few minutes, but, it in turn adopted the jaguar and was soon climbing on her and riding around.
The jaguar kept an eye on the little thing as night fell, keeping it from running off, played with it, and just baboon mothered as best she could. I believe she even offered it meat. Eventually she pulled the baby in close and went to sleep, the baby grabbed on tight to its new mom and sucked its thumb to sleep.
The baby died in the night, being just way too young to be without milk. In the morning, the jaguar nosed it mournfully and moved on.
The whole exchange was caught on camera, and it was absolutely mystifying and amazing.
Without question the most stunning display of cross species adoption behavior I have seen was on a documentary about big cats. I’m sorta a junky, I watch anything big cat related that I can.
Anyway, there was this pack of baboon’s that regularly terrorized this young Jaguar female. The attacks were almost always inspired by a single female baboon who would hoot and shout and throw things and get the whole troop riled up (not unlike some people I’ve met).
Generally this Jaguar would just be walking by, or stalking prey near the troop. One evening, that female baboon was 100 feet or so from the rest of the troop, sitting in the twilight with her back to the woods. The jaguar couldn’t have resisted even if they HADN’T been nemeses. She stalked up and killed the baboon, (which face to face would have at least had a fighting chance), with terrible speed.
The as she tore and pawed the carcass (I don’t believe the rest of the troop even realized what happened), a little baby baboon squeaked and rolled out from the recesses of its mother’s bosom.
The cat just stopped cold for a second. Completely snapped out of her rage instantly, and just nosed and poked the infant.
The she picked it up, as casual as anything, and took it back to her tree. The baboonlet was scared for a few minutes, but, it in turn adopted the jaguar and was soon climbing on her and riding around.
The jaguar kept an eye on the little thing as night fell, keeping it from running off, played with it, and just baboon mothered as best she could. I believe she even offered it meat. Eventually she pulled the baby in close and went to sleep, the baby grabbed on tight to its new mom and sucked its thumb to sleep.
The baby died in the night, being just way too young to be without milk. In the morning, the jaguar nosed it mournfully and moved on.
The whole exchange was caught on camera, and it was absolutely mystifying and amazing.