A jaguar severely wounded by gunfire was rescued from Brazil’s Rio Negro in a dramatic operation led by Amazonas state authorities.
According to the Independent, on October 1, military police patrolling the river spotted the big cat struggling to stay afloat. Video of the rescue shows the jaguar cautiously swimming toward a boat. In response, officers made a flotation device to give the animal something to cling to instead of forcing it to tread water.
@independentBrazilian military police rescued a jaguar struggling in the Rio Negro, a major Amazon tributary. Video shows the exhausted animal swimming toward a police boat, where officers pushed out a makeshift flotation device. The jaguar held on and was guided to shore on October 1, 2025.♬ original sound – Independent
Once secured, the jaguar was transported to shore, where wildlife veterinarians from the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) and the State Secretariat for Animal Protection (SEPAT) took over. Medical exams revealed that the animal had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, broken teeth, and bullet fragments lodged under its skin. It is now under intensive care.
At present, authorities have not determined who shot the jaguar.
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