photo by Joachim S. Muller (via Flickr)
Lions and tigers get all the attention as the most famous “big cats” in the Old World, but Colombia is also home to some fascinating big cats that roam the untouched wilds of South America. Book an adventure tour with Uncharted Colombia and you might just catch a glimpse of one of these four ferocious felines.
photo by Malcolm (via Wikipedia COmmons)
Puma
If the lion is the king of the jungle, then the puma is the king of the Americas with the largest range of any wild land mammal. The puma is known by several other names, including mountain lion, catamount, and cougar. This nocturnal carnivore is closely related to the domestic cat, believe it or not. Like pet cats, the puma doesn’t roar; instead, it makes a series of other sounds including hisses, growls, and purrs. They are historically associated with a terrifying female-like scream, but the jury is still out on whether that sound comes from a puma or another misidentified animal. When hunting, they have a penchant for targeting the delicate necks of their prey, often snapping them with a bite!
photo by USFWS (via Wikimedia Commons)
Jaguar
While the puma can snap your neck with a bite, that’s nothing compared to the jaguar, which has the most powerful bite of any big cat. Its bite is strong enough to pierce through the armored shells of reptiles! Because of this unusually powerful bite, the jaguar targets the skulls of its prey and delivers a fatal injury to the brain. The jaguar is the largest cat species in the Americas and the only panther species found in the New World. As such, it has played a significant role in the mythologies of ancient tribes, such as the Mayans and Aztecs. Its range used to span from the southern United States into South America, but growing human populations and hunting have caused a decline in the jaguar population. You can recognize the jaguar by its tawny body and spots, meant to be camouflage in the dappled shade of the forests.
photo by Quinten Questel (via Flickr)
Ocelot
Alright, this cat is adorable, but don’t let its smaller size and big eyes fool you… it’s dangerous, just not particularly to humans. The ocelot actively hunts for up to 14 hours per day, making it one of the most active cat species. Like all cats, the ocelot is a carnivore and devours tasty treats like opossums, rabbits, rodents, small birds, fish, insects, and reptiles. The ocelot population in the United States is nearly gone, with automobiles being the number one killer near human habitations. Despite this, their population overall is quite stable, and they range in almost every region in Colombia. They have been popular in the past as pets, with Salvador Dali famously keeping one named Babou. And the Moche people of Peru worshipped them and featured the ocelot in much of their art.
photo by Joachim S. Muller (via Flickr)
Jaguarundi
The most unique-looking big cat on this list, the jaguarundi has short rounded ears, short legs, and a long body. Its range is primarily in Central and South America, where it typically inhabits bush-filled lowlands. It’s a good climber, but you will find the jaguarundi mostly hunting on the ground, and eating a diet that includes birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles. Unlike many other cats, the jaguarundi is diurnal (active during the day). The jaguarundi also makes an excellent feline neighbor and tolerates other cats living and hunting in its territory pretty well. It’s a member of the puma family, and the coloring is usually greyish, with a few markings on the face, but it can also exhibit a red color which makes it resemble its mountain lion cousins a little more.
Nothing will get you closer to the action than a private tour of Colombia; they are the perfect way to experience the most diverse wildlife on the planet, like the ocelot and jaguarundi. The wild and beautiful landscapes of Colombia are the adventure of a lifetime. Colombia is waiting.