Can a Jaguar Kill a Large Caiman Crocodile
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 Jaguars. Of the four big cats, they're the only ones you'll find roaming the
00:07 Americas. Known for their vicious fight and a devastating bite, you'd think this
00:14 cat was unstoppable. But is it? Welcome to Big Cats Meow, a series by Love Nature
00:23 that's all about big cats. I'm your host, Serane, Love Nature's digital producer.
00:28 Now let's do this thing. Right meow. Of the 170,000 jaguars remaining in the
00:39 wild, about half of them live in Brazil. Jaguars can weigh nearly 300 pounds, but
00:46 they vary in size depending on their territory. Out here in the Pantanal, the
00:51 world's largest tropical wetland, they're roughly twice the size of the ones
00:55 you'll find in Central America. Why is that? Well, much of it has to do with
00:59 what they eat. And in this case, they eat caimans. Yep, caimans. The smaller yet
01:07 equally feisty cousin of the alligator.
01:11 Some say the Pantanal hosts the largest population of crocodilians on earth.
01:15 We're talking like five to ten million caimans here, people. These dudes can grow
01:21 up to eight feet long. Just look at those teeth. As you can imagine, they don't have
01:28 too much to worry about. Except of course, our friendly neighborhood jaguar. So what
01:34 happens when a young, inexperienced jaguar goes head-to-head with the deadly
01:38 caiman? Well, see for yourself. We happen to have one such showdown on tape. Roll
01:44 the clip. Now let's set the stage a bit. This jaguar is a bit of a rookie. He
01:51 recently left his mom and now has to fend for himself. He's hungry and hot as
01:57 hell. No joke, it's north of 100 degrees Fahrenheit out there. This lone,
02:02 unsuspecting caiman is the meal ticket our young jag desperately needs. But the
02:08 reptile has no plans of going down without a fight. So the cat's got to make
02:12 it count. Okay, three, two, one.
02:18 As an underwater tussle ignites, it's anyone's guess who makes it out alive.
02:24 Sure, the jaguar has the advantage. He's bigger, stronger, but he lacks the
02:30 experience needed to make this a clean kill. Not to mention, caimans rule these
02:34 waters. The jaguar can handle himself in the river, but the caiman can hold its
02:41 breath for up to an hour. So it's the jaguar's job to take that breath away.
02:47 A seasoned killer cat would bite straight into the caiman's walnut-sized
02:51 brain and end this fight swiftly. But our guy is having trouble getting a firm
02:56 grip. The reptile tries to roll, throwing the cat off his position. If the caiman
03:04 can stay afloat and pull off a powerful roll, he could turn the tables. But the
03:10 big cat strikes back, jaw locked in and refusing to give up any leverage. As the
03:17 caiman's body goes limp, slowly drowning, the call is unanimous. The big cat has
03:23 emerged victorious. He's bagged a kill that'll feed him for days, so it's safe
03:30 to say this kitty came out on top. He finds a good spot on the riverbank and
03:35 uses that first-class bite strength to drag the caiman to higher ground. He's
03:41 been through a lot and he'll go through a lot more in life, but for right now
03:45 he'll savor this victory. Bon Appetit.
03:51 Thanks for watching Big Cat's Meow on Love Nature. Be sure to like and
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04:01 pump out next. And now it's time for your Big Cat Quiz. The answer for last week's
04:06 quiz is...
04:08 How about you try your luck at this week's quiz?
04:15 Make your best guess, comment down below and we'll catch you later.
04:24 you
04:26 you
04:29 you
04:31 (upbeat music)