Jaguars and Otters Face Off

A jaguar sniffs around a feisty giant otter’s den in the Brazilian Pantanal--and is met with scorn. Then, another jaguar often seen by Panthera’s scientists along the São Lourenço River in the same region tries to catch some rays on a tree branch near a den full of giant otter pups. A group of frenzied adult otters, uninterested in sharing their favorite eating spot and home base, alert their dominant male and storm the big cat from the water. The intimidation tactics work: The jaguar flicks her tail in fear and performs a semi-somersault to turn around and flee the angry mob of otters. Incredible scenes like this were almost unthinkable only a decade ago, as both species were heavily persecuted in this part of Brazil and didn’t let people observe their interactions. We’re excited to now bear witness as biodiversity booms in this region. Read our blogs about these two videos: Be a hero for big cats: Donate at Your gift has a direct impact on our big cat conservation work in the harshest environments: $50 feeds an anti-poaching unit hot meals for a week. $100 provides a day of anti-poaching technology training for rangers in tiger and lion territories. $350 purchases a dozen faux fur capes to replace real leopard skins used for ceremonial dress in southern Africa. $500 puts a state-of-the-art PoacherCam in the field to help law enforcement identify suspects. $750 deploys a rapid response team to rescue and release snow leopards involved in conflict with local villages. $1,000 builds a predator-proof corral that keeps livestock and lions safe—and farmers’ livelihoods intact. Thank you for celebrating and supporting big cats with our conservationists around the world.