The Jaguar
King of The Belize Jungle

The best of the Belize attractions has got to be the animals and the Jaguar is king here. He is a very secretive animal so just a glimpse of him is trophy enough for the large cat lover.

Take one of the eco tours to see this magnificent animal and other jungle wildlife, because eco tours respect the habitats of jungle wildlife with the least disturbances from tourists.

When is the best time to see this animal? Night time!

He is the third largest of the wild cats, yet, because they are very private, solitary animals, they like to stay hidden, therefore it can be quite difficult to spot them in the jungle. You may only get to see them in the Belize zoo.

Adding to that, they have excellent camouflage with their black spotted, golden coloured fur which blends in with the dappled, shady jungle foliage.

They are at home in jungle, wetlands, dense rain forests and swampy areas, and don`t mind the water. They are adept at swimming and take to the water often to catch fish.

The jaguar is carnivorous and although it prefers larger animals, it will stalk and pounce on fish, reptiles, and rodents. In fact it is known to dine on 67 species of animals.

These creatures are Apex and Keystone predators of Belize wildlife. Apex, meaning that they are at the top of the food chain with no predator hunting them, and Keystone, meaning they are important for balancing the ecosystem in and around their habitat which would collapse if they diminished or disappeared. Sad to say, this creature is on the decline.

If tourists are made aware of this fact, they should understand the need to respect it, it`s environment, and any perimeters imposed by Belize wildlife conservation organizations.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Southern Belize, is where the world's only Jaguar Reserve is found.

Tell-tale signs that they are around, are scratch marks on trees, urine, or faeces which they use to mark their territory. But if you really want to catch a glimpse of these large cats, remember, dusk and dawn are the hours they are on the prowl.