Jaguars are usually solitary except when mating and when a female has cubs. Known as a stalk-and-ambush predator, they have very powerful jaws allowing them to pierce the shell of reptiles and to crush the skull of their prey; catching and eating anything from frogs and mice, to deer and caiman. The word ‘jaguar’ actually stems from the Native American word ‘yaguar’, meaning ‘he who kills in one leap’.

Similar to tigers, jaguars do not avoid water; they swim well in the rivers and scour for food such as fish and turtles. Most jaguars are golden in colour with spotted markings that resemble a leopard, except jaguars have a black spot inside the rosettes. Some jaguars are so dark they look like they are completely black and have no markings, although the rosettes can usually be spotted upon closer inspection.

The best time to see jaguars is during the drier months between late June and late October when the jaguars prey congregates around the diminishing water.