This is the moment an extremely fortunate jaguar that was on the verge of drowning in the middle of a river is saved by some sailors who tied a rope to a log and threw it to the big cat so they could drag it to the shore.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) was rescued from the Leon River which is located in the Turbo municipality of Colombia’s Antioquia region and rains into the Caribbean Sea, according to a statement published on 15th November by The Navy of the Republic of Colombia (ARC).
The jaguar is the only living member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the big cat as ‘Near Threatened’.
The jaguar is the largest cat species in the Americas and the third-largest in the world with a maximum length of 1.85 metres (6.1 feet) and a weight of up to 96 kilogrammes (212 lbs)
Local fishermen noticed the jaguar swimming about two kilometres from the shore and informed the Uraba Coast Guard Station.
A boat was sent to the scene and the sailors tied a rope to a log which they then threw to the big cat hoping it would latch on to it with its sharp claws.
(Armada de Colombia/Newsflash )
The cat was suspicious of the sailors at first and it took over an hour of trial and error before it grabbed the lifeline.
As seen in the footage the jaguar does eventually take a firm hold of the log and floats calmly behind the boat on its way back to the shore.
The jaguar was taken from the shore and back to its natural habitat in a protected mangrove area.
It is still unclear how the feline ended up in the middle of the river so far from the shore, added the ARC.
(Armada de Colombia/Newsflash )
Jaguars can be found from Mexico all the way through Central and South America in countries including Brazil, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia and Colombia.
The species is threatened by the destruction of its habitat and illegally killing.
Jaguars are often killed for attacking the livestock of farmers and for their valuable body parts which are traded on the black market.
The ARC concluded their statement by saying that they are committed not only to safeguarding human life on the water but also to promoting the protection of animals and the environment that they inhabit.
The Colombian Navy rescued a jaguar that was swimming in a state of exhaustion in Turbo municipality, Colombia, in November, 2021.
(Armada de Colombia/Newsflash )The Colombian Navy rescued a jaguar that was swimming in a state of exhaustion in Turbo municipality, Colombia, in November, 2021.
(Armada de Colombia/Newsflash )
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Story By: Peter Barker, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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