| The elusive jaguar is said to be one of the | | | | Centre in Southeast Peru. You will conduct |
| hardest animals in the world to spot. However, | | | | important wildlife surveys on jaguars and pumas |
| that doesn't stop millions of people from trying to | | | | inside the Amazon Basin and help to develop |
| catch a glimpse of one when walking Peru's | | | | sustainable management strategies. Whilst we |
| jungles. Even during the Incan civilisation the jaguar | | | | can't guarantee that you'll be lucky enough to |
| was seen as a symbol of strength with the scary | | | | spot one of these big cats, most of your time will |
| creator god, Apaec, donning jaguar heads and | | | | be spent walking Peru's jungle paths and recording |
| snakes to show off his machoism. Both feared | | | | the animals you spot. |
| and revered, spotting a jaguar whilst walking Peru | | | | Jaguars at Lima Zoo |
| is an experience that you definitely won't forget: | | | | There's only one place in Peru that you're pretty |
| The Cuzco Jaguar | | | | much guaranteed to spot a jaguar and that's at |
| If you're walking Peru and searching for a jaguar | | | | Lima Zoo. In fact, the zoo has recently had a new |
| it could actually be the case that you're walking on | | | | arrival and a black jaguar, or puma, was born in |
| a jaguar. Confused? Things might make more | | | | May last year. Jaguars are unusual in that they |
| sense from the air. You see it's believed that the | | | | don't breed litters like other big cats and instead |
| ancient Incan town of Cuzco was designed to | | | | give birth one by one. Lima Zoo has a number of |
| look like a jaguar. Cuzco is the ancient Quechan | | | | jaguars and now contains three that were born at |
| word for navel and during the Incan times it was | | | | the zoo in captivity. |
| believed to be the navel of the earth. The main | | | | Jaguar Safari |
| plaza was the jaguar's belly, the river Tullumayo | | | | Seeing a jaguar in the zoo isn't nearly as |
| its spine, the sundial it's eye and the nearby town | | | | rewarding as seeing a jaguar in the wild, so why |
| of Sacsayhuaman as its head. | | | | not book a jaguar safari to coincide with the |
| Sacsayhuaman is a great place to spend the | | | | beginning or end of your holiday? Walking Peru's |
| afternoon walking Peru and the three large | | | | rainforest with an experienced guide is a great |
| terraced walls of the fortress there, are said to | | | | way to catch a glimpse of these elusive cats. |
| represent the teeth of the jaguar. The fortress | | | | Your ranger will know exactly what signs to |
| used to be a Royal House of the Sun and | | | | search for from paw prints on the rainforest |
| contains several ancient baths used for ritualistic | | | | floor, to overhanging boughs on trees. Jaguars |
| bathing. | | | | hunt mainly at night so you might be lucky enough |
| Jaguar Conservation | | | | to spot one fishing on a riverbank late at night. |
| We're sure that you've had a great time walking | | | | You'll almost certainly be able to identify their |
| Peru, so why not give something back to the local | | | | hooting mating call and scent marks up against |
| community after your holiday? You can volunteer | | | | trees. Whether you spot a jaguar or not, one |
| to work in jaguar conservation for a few days at | | | | thing's certain, the search in itself is plenty of fun! |
| the end of your holiday at the Puerto Maldonado | | | | |