Jaguars in the wild are endangered but thanks to a progressive reserve system, in Belize we have a healthy population of the awesome predator. But they don't just confine themselves to the reserves, and if you have doubt about that you need only ask residents in the Belize River Valley Area and in the La Democracia Area where the wildcats are often spotted at times feeding on livestock and other small domestic pets like dogs. That was the case yesterday when one woman living at mile 14 on the Western Highway when she had a terrifying close encounter with a jaguar.
Alfonso NobleReporting,
It's the largest cat in the Americas and this file footage shows the famous jaguar prowl. And that's just what's been happening in the area around Tropical Park at mile 15 on the Western Highway. Yesterday mile 14 resident Olive Leslie and Officer in Charge of the Hattieville Police Sub-Station Christopher Noble had a very close encounter with this formidable hunter. They were in Leslie's 40-acre property at Tropical Park looking for this horse, which had gone missing. Neighbors say it was attacked and killed by a jaguar that's been stalking the area. Noble and Leslie were checking out the story, and that's when both sighted the cat.
Olive Leslie,
"Somebody came to our property and told the neighbor that the horse was dead, that a jaguar ate the horse. So then we came out here and Sgt. Noble and I and another guy and we actually saw the jaguar. It was a joy and then there was sadness because when we think about it its God's creature right and when you see it running around its beautiful but then too its needs to be contained in an area. They can capture them if they want to, you know save them."
Sgt. Chris Noble,
"The information I got was that the animal had killed a horse in this area. The area is about a mile from the highway and this area is known as what we call Tropical Park. I came out, the information I had was there were two horses. I found one and it was okay. I returned with Ms. Leslie, Miss Olive, and another fellow and sure enough in the area we are at now we saw vultures and before we could even think the animal just ran past us in the ridge just behind."
That sighting of the cat has both Noble and Leslie concerned over the safety of those living in the area and would like that the appropriate authorities take action to remove the cat before it is either killed by residents or before it kills anyone.
Olive Leslie,
"They say that it is an endangered species but then we have to think about children and wildlife too because if this could happen to horse, it could happen to you know even a small child."
Sgt. Chris Noble,
"It would be best that the necessary authorities know that this animal is near us and come out and probably try to set a trap for it and see how we can best put it up before it comes anywhere nearer to where the settlements in this area are. We have kids, we have dogs, we have a lot of things that if it is short of food, heaven knows what it would do."
Olive Leslie,
"Truthfully I would want it in front of my bed as a rug but I know Ms. Matola is listening and you know she's not going to be too happy with that. But if they could catch it and put it somewhere where it is good."
But while the plea is for the animal to be removed from the area, there is concern that while we encroach more and more on their habitat we will be coming into contact with these cats more often. Already Noble says he's had reports of sightings in other areas.
Sgt. Chris Noble,
"We have had a couple and the last being that in Burrell Boom and being told that there was a sighting I can't say that I don't believe but from what I saw yesterday there is and if it is not a jaguar it is a rather large cat."
Alfonso Noble,
Is it the same jaguar? Do you believe it is here and you also believe there was also another one spotted around mile 32?
Sgt. Chris Noble,
"It may or may not have been. It is only the persons that study these animals that would know the terrain, how far they would roam, and how far they carry themselves. So I can't say for sure if it is. Maybe it is, maybe its not. Maybe we have more than one of them and they are coming closer to us."
And while the animals are indeed coming closer to us maybe it is that we are coming closer to them and sightings like these paw prints and rotting carcasses of domesticated animals like Leslie's horse will inevitably become more frequent.
Sgt. Noble has gotten a commitment from the Forestry Department to go to the area of the sighting to place traps to capture and relocate the cat.
