Jaguar cub raised at home to receive care at specialized center in Manaus

By Ana Pastana – From Cenarium 

MANAUS (AM) – The male jaguar cub, named ‘Golias,’ arrived in the capital of Amazonas on Wednesday, the 12th, with the support of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), to receive care at the Wild Animal Screening Center of Amazonas (Cetas/AM), part of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama). The animal’s story gained attention after the Military Police rescued the feline from a residence in the municipality of Santo Antônio do Içá, in the interior of the state, where it was being raised by a family.

Ibama was contacted by the municipality’s Secretariat of Environment to rescue the wild animal. Initially, the cub had been returned to the family due to a lack of adequate infrastructure in the city. Before being transferred to Manaus, Golias was first taken to the municipality of Tefé, located 521 kilometers from Manaus, also in the interior of Amazonas.

“The animal is under the care of the Cetas team, which includes specialized personnel trained in biology and veterinary medicine,” said Ibama’s superintendent in Amazonas, Joel Araújo.

The current health status of the animal has not been disclosed, but on the 5th, Ibama stated in a note that the cub was rescued in good health and displayed a docile demeanor.

According to Environmental Crimes Law No. 9.605/1998, the captivity, possession, transportation, commercialization, and use of wild animals without authorization is a crime. The law states that the crime occurs when a person “kills, pursues, hunts, captures, or uses specimens of native or migratory wildlife without proper permission, license, or authorization from the competent authority, or in violation of the granted permit.” The penalty can range from six months to one year of detention, in addition to a fine.

Biologist Reacts

Biologist Henrique Abrahão Charles, who has nearly 800,000 followers on Instagram, commented on Saturday, the 8th, on the case of the jaguar Golias Goes and reminded the public why the animal could not remain in its previous home.

The biologist shared a video reproduced by CENARIUM showing the animal’s routine, which was viewed more than three million times. Henrique Abrahão Charles recalled the case of Filó, the capybara that lives under the care of influencer Agenor Tupinambá in the interior of Amazonas. According to the biologist, despite both being wild animals, they exhibit very different behaviors.

“You’re talking about a jaguar cub, not a capybara. One thing is like, ‘Oh, Agenor lived out in the interior, in the middle of the forest, the capybara was already there, it had free access…’ Okay, you could even debate that. But a jaguar cub in the middle of a neighborhood? Where is your common sense?” he said. “The family cannot keep the jaguar, so get that idea out of your heads.”

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