Caseiro has a close encounter with a jaguar during fishing on the Teles Pires River, in Sinop (MT)

Caretaker Augustinho Pereira Leite, 54 years old, who was just a few meters away from a jaguar during a fishing trip on the Teles Pires River, in Sinop (MT), said that he had already seen other jaguars in the region, but this time, the proximity surprised the caretaker.

To g1, Augustinho explained that he used a flashlight and made noise to scare away the animal, which entered the forest. Shortly afterwards, the jaguar appeared again while he was still preparing his equipment. The third time, the caretaker decided to collect his things and leave the place.

"I've always seen it like this, far away, right? Crossing the road, often walking, I'd soon enter the woods. But close up like this, I've never seen it," he said.

🐆 Animal was just a few meters away from the caretaker

Fisherman encounters a jaguar while fishing in MT — Photo: Personal Archive/Augustinho Pereira Leite

The caretaker works and travels through forested areas in the Sinop region and said he is used to the presence of wild animals. According to him, previous encounters took place when jaguars crossed roads or walked nearby before disappearing into the vegetation.

On the night of registration, however, the distance was much smaller. Augustinho said he noticed the animal about two meters away from him. The last time, she was squatting and, according to the caretaker, she looked smaller than she really was.

"She wasn't very small. When she was sitting, she seemed small, but when she stood up to turn like that to enter the bush, I saw her size clearly, she was very big", he said.

Despite the proximity, there was no attack and Augustinho returned home unharmed. The encounter also did not make him abandon his fishing routine, and in the same week, he was fishing again.

👨‍⚕️ Veterinarian analyzed behavior

According to veterinarian Diego Viana, the jaguar remains still while observing Augustinho and does not show, in the images, signs that allow us to say that it was intending to attack. For the veterinarian, it is also not possible to determine exactly what motivated the animal's behavior at that moment.

According to the expert, knowing the animals and understanding situations that can increase the risk are important measures to reduce the possibility of accidents. Therefore, some precautions can reduce the risks:

Keep calm and don't run.

Do not turn your back to the animal and keep the jaguar in your field of vision.

Move away slowly, preferably backing up.

Leave an escape route for the animal.

Do not chase the jaguar when it is moving away.

If the animal continues to approach, demonstrate your presence by using your voice firmly and trying to appear larger.

Pay extra attention when there are puppies, a carcass or an animal feeding, situations that can provoke a defensive reaction.

*Under the supervision of Kessillen Lopes.