By Balraj Sohal
JAW-DROPPING images show the shocking moment two FEROCIOUS jaguars face off in an attempt to KILL.
The tense altercation, which was also captured on video, shows the moment when two jaguars approach each other before engaging in a fiery battle.
One remarkable shot shows the long fangs of the jaguar, trying to warn off the intruder as it lets out a thundering roar. Whilst another amazing image captures the jaguar’s stretched out body in its efforts to deliver a fatal blow.
Video shows the jaguars slowly circling one another with their hefty claws, stalking the tiniest flinch of their opponent and trying to analyse any potential weak spots.
Within a second, one of the mighty cats hauls itself into the air whilst striking ferociously trying to cause some major wounds – and within a few seconds, they return to an intense stand-off.
Dentist and wildlife photographer, Reynaldo Leite Martins Junior (53) from Mato Grosso, Brazil, took the breath-taking photographs from a boat that was following one of the jaguar’s hunt for food.
“I often go to Porto Jofre, a specific region of Pantanal that is the best place in the world to jaguar watch, one of my favourite animals, which always provides good pictures,” Reynaldo says.
“On this day, I was in a boat following a male jaguar that was hunting on the bank of a river, when he found another male coming in the opposite direction.
“Knowledge of the body language of the animal helps to predict it’s behaviour and thus not lose the action.
“Jaguars are solitary animals and do not usually enjoy company, especially the same sex. The result was a fight that lasted about five minutes.
“Witnessing the encounter on a beach, in plain view, was a magical moment that released a significant amount of adrenaline and endorphins into my body.”
Reynaldo emphasises that it is random events such as this which keeps his experiences refreshing and motivates his photography.
“The weather, the light, which animals will be there, and what their behaviour will be, are variables that make wildlife photography so fascinating for me,” he said.
“I hope my photography stimulates people to experience these places and animals in person, and that this knowledge awakens a need to preserve these kinds of environments.”
