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WILDERNESS & ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE, 22, 130–135 (2011)

CASE REPORT

Attacks by Jaguars (Panthera onca) on Humans in CentralBrazil: Report of Three Cases, with Observation of aDeathManoel Francisco Campos Neto, MD; Domingos Garrone Neto, MSc, PhD; Vidal Haddad Jr, MD, MSc, PhD

From the Forensic Medicine Section – POLITEC – Cáceres, Mato Grosso State, Brazil (Dr Campos Neto); Post-Graduation in Zoology,Sacred Heart University, Bauru City, São Paulo State, Brazil (Dr Garrone Neto); Botucatu School of Medicine, UNESP, São Paulo, UnivEstadual Paulista and Vital Brazil Hospital, Butantan Institute, Post-Graduation in Zoology, Biosciences Institute, Univ Estadual Paulista,São Paulo, Brazil (Dr Haddad).

Conflicts between humans and big cats have been known for centuries throughout the world, but haveintensified in recent decades. Recently, attacks by Panthera onca on humans in Brazil have beenbrought to the forefront through exposure in the press and because of the severity of the attacks. Wereport 3 cases of patients attacked by jaguars in provoked and predatory situations. Two patientssurvived the attacks and one died. Attack mechanisms and lesions in victims are discussed. The attacksdemonstrate a real risk of accidents from jaguars in certain regions, such as the Pantanal and theAmazon.

Key words: animal damage, attacks on human, large carnivores, wildlife, man-jaguar interaction

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Introduction

Although conflicts between humans and big cats havebeen known for centuries throughout the world, theyhave become especially prevalent in areas where expan-sion of urban centers and agricultural frontiers has de-creased the habitat size of these animals. Urban expan-sion, in addition to restricting and even preventinggenetic diversity among remnant populations, reducesthe availability of natural prey. Species are forced to huntoutside of their protected areas, which may result inunintended consequences for both man and animal.1-3

Worldwide, hundreds of deaths are caused by large catattacks annually.1-3 In Tanzania, East Africa, it is esti-

ated that over 1000 people have been attacked by lionsPanthera leo) in the last 20 years.4 Between 1984 and000, in the mangrove forests of eastern India and west-rn Bangladesh, statistics show that at least 401 humaneaths have occurred after attacks by Bengal tigers (Pan-hera tigris tigris), an average of 24 deaths per year.5,6 In

the Americas, the 2 species of big cats are the jaguar(Panthera onca) and the puma (Puma concolor). The

Corresponding author: Vidal Haddad Jr, MD, PhD, Univ EstadualPaulista, Departamento de Dermatologia, Caixa Postal 557, 18618-000

lBotucatu, São Paulo, Brazil (e-mail: haddadjr@fmb.unesp.br).

jaguar is the third largest cat in the world, reaching morethan 2.5 meters in length and 110kg in weight (Figure 1).Its original distribution included all southern UnitedStates and Latin America, but today it is restricted to theAmazon rainforest, the Pantanal (a vast wetland situatedon the border of Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia), andprotected areas of the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil(Figure 1).7,8 The cougar, also known as the mountainion, puma, or as the suçuarana in Brazilian Indian lan-uage (P. concolor), has a wider distribution and greaterolerance to the environmental changes occurring in dif-erent habitats, ranging from Canada to Patagônia.9

Both species have a history of attacking humans, al-though only negative interactions between P. concolorand humans have been reported in the medical literature,with 20 deaths and at least 82 nonfatal attacks occurringin the United States and Canada between 1890 and2001.10 Recently, some attacks by P. onca on humansave occurred in Brazil and have been brought to theorefront through exposure in the press and because ofhe severity of the attacks.

In this article, we report 3 P. onca attacks in humansn midwestern Brazil, in transition areas among 3 majorouth American ecosystems—the Cerrado (savannah-

ike regions), the Pantanal, and the Amazon region—

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Attacks by Jaguars on Humans in Brazil 131

highlighting the problem posed by environmental changeand changing human attitudes towards wildlife.

Case Summaries

Case 1: In May 2007, a 40-year-old male Aweti Indiansuffered a nonfatal attack while traveling through thewoods on the shores of Lake Ipawu in the Upper XinguIndian Reserve. The victim was traveling to a cassavaplantation early in the morning accompanied by 2 dogs.The dogs attacked a jaguar lurking just off the trail, about300 m from the village. Initially, the jaguar avoidedconfrontation with the dogs but eventually attacked themafter dropping from the tree where it had been cornered.Armed with a machete and a stick of wood, the victimtried to help the dogs by fighting the jaguar. He saw thathis dogs had been killed and he tried to flee but he was

Figure 1. The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the third largest cat of the waddad Jr and Domingos Garrone Neto. Map: Instituto Brasileiro de

bitten immediately on the left shoulder. The victim

struck the animal in the head with the machete and thejaguar released its grip. When he struck more blows withthe machete, the jaguar attacked from the front, scratch-ing the victim deeply on the chest and left forearm. Atthat moment, another Indian and his dog came to thevictim’s aid. The jaguar attacked and killed the third dogbut the owner eventually drove the jaguar away and itdisappeared into the woods. The victim was taken backto the village, where he was treated by the tribe’s sha-man. The shaman applied herbal preparations to theinjuries. He now only shows the scars of the scratchescaused by the attack (Figure 2).

Case 2: Around 6 PM on July 14, 2010, a 17-year-oldwhite male from Mateus Lemos (Minas Gerais State)was attacked while returning from a fishing trip in Cac-eres, Mato Grosso State, in North Pantanal. His compan-ions reported that a jaguar jumped out of a ravine onto

and the most powerful predator in the Americas. Photographs: Vidalgrafia e Estatística, Brazil.

orld

the boat and bit the victim on the right shoulder, tipping

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132 Campos Neto et al

him into the water. Shortly after, the jaguar surfaced inthe river with the victim’s head between its teeth. Theboat skipper then smashed an iron pipe into the jaguarand the animal released the victim and escaped into theravine. The first responder on scene applied compressivebandaging to the injuries of the scalp. En route to med-ical care they encountered another boat that had a doctoraboard; that doctor improved placement of the compres-sive bandages, established venous access, and adminis-tered intravenous saline solution, an antibiotic (cephalo-sporin), an anti-inflammatory, and analgesics. He alsorecommended the administration of rabies and tetanusvaccinations.

The victim was admitted to a hospital about 8 hoursafter the attack. Physical examination showed perfora-tions from the jaguar’s fangs (marked in the fracturedand extracted bone fragments of the skull) and facial,right arm, and right back scratches, as well as perfora-tions to the victim’s body. He was diagnosed with cra-nial-encephalic trauma, with brain and bone tissue losson the left side of the head (Figure 3). Surgeons removedbone fragments and devitalized brain tissue, repaired thedura mater, and sutured skin lesions with rigorous atten-tion to hemostasis of affected vessels. The victim sur-vived and currently has a memory deficit (traumaticamnesia and aphasia) and awaits further surgery for

Figure 2. The attack in Case 1 was provoked by the victim’s dogs thnd prestige (see the necklace with the claws). Note the victim’s scar

placement of a cranial acrylic prosthesis. r

Case 3: A 21year-old fisherman from Cáceres (MatoGrosso State) was attacked in a remote area of Cácerescounty. The attack occurred around 7: 30 PM on June 24,008, in a place known as “Pacu Gordo” on the banks ofhe Paraguay River near Taiamã Nature Reserve. It is anpen site, measuring about 25 m wide and 10 m deep,urrounded by native vegetation with poor natural light-ng, requiring the use of open fire and artificial lightingo that fishermen can spend the night. The victim wasleeping in a tent with the entrance closed. The animalntered the tent and inflicted bites to the posterior cervi-al region and head of the fisherman (bilaterally, withissue and bone loss) as well as claw scratches andunctures, especially in the pectoral region and the backf the shoulders and limbs. Death was attributed to highervical transection of the spinal cord. The body wasragged approximately 60 m into the woods and recov-red by fishermen who responded to a radio warningrom the victim’s father. The attack was classified asredatory. Necropsy, performed by one of the authorsMFCN), described the following: The body had com-inuted fractures (several fragments) associated with

raumatic dislocation of the cervical spine, with severepinal cord injury, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, tissueoss, and multiple lesions from mixed action (perfora-ions, cuts, and contusions) directed to the posterior

unted the jaguar. Brazilian Indians kill jaguars to demonstrate powerhotographs: Domingos Garrone Neto.

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egions of the cervical spine. There were significant

Attacks by Jaguars on Humans in Brazil 133

vascular-nerve cervical lesions (arteries, veins, andnerves) and traumatic brain injury with fracture andtearing of part of the left hemicranium and perforationsand scratches from claws on various parts of the body(Figure 4).

Discussion and Conclusions

The 3 attacks took place under different situations. In thefirst case, the jaguar was likely provoked after beingcornered by the dogs. The outcome of this encounter didnot result in the victim’s death probably because of hisdefensive reaction, striking the animal’s face, and thesupport from a passerby.

The second and third attacks, however, could be con-sidered predatory in nature. In Case 2 (non-fatal attack),the jaguar held the young man’s head with its fangsthereby restraining its prey in an unprovoked attack. Theblows from an iron pipe forced the cat to abandon itsprey and flee. A combination of factors contributed to thepatient’s survival, despite the long interval between theattack and the medical treatment. These measures in-cluded field first aid measures to control the bleeding,intravenous medication administration, and a lack of

Figure 3. This violent attack by a jaguar on a tourist could have killwith fractures and loss of cranium bone fragments and cerebral tissueFrancisco de Campos Neto.

major vessel involvement along with the protection

given by the skull and subsequent efforts of the medicalteam headed up by a neurosurgeon.

In Case 3, the situation was by definition a predatoryattack, as the animal broke into the tent where the victimwas sleeping, attacked the posterior cervical region anddragged the body into the woods. The locations of thebites, punctures, and scratches reinforce these observa-tions (prey immobilization and restraint), adding a se-quential character to the predation movements.

The marks and trauma to the victim’s body suggestedsome characteristic features of jaguar attacks: the maininjuries (possibly causing instantaneous death) werebites to the cervical spine with torn nerve, muscle, andcutaneous tissue, as well as cervical vertebrae fractures;the force of the bite and rotational movements to pro-mote spine displacement is characteristic of prey kills bythis species. Other lesions were the perforations causedby the claws when gripping the victim’s shoulders (in-dicating a strong compression into the ground at the timeof restraint and feeding). There was also a skull fracturewith tissue removal on the side of the head (mainly theleft side), associated with the beginning of feeding, andmultiple scratch marks on the upper chest (anterior, near

he victim, who presented with severe lesions in the cephalic segment,se 2). This was classified as a predatory attack. Photographs: Manoel

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the neck and back) and on proximal portions of the upper

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134 Campos Neto et al

limb—suggesting position changes by the predator inmoving the victim and starting to feed.

These attacks, although different in motivation, dem-onstrate that the risk of accidents from jaguars (P. onca)is real in certain regions. Important factors contributingto this risk include the increasing loss of hunting habitatsand availability of wild prey (pecaris, deer, and capi-baras), the destruction and fragmentation of jaguars’natural habitat, as well as the intentional presence of tourists,fishermen, and hunters in territorial areas of adult animalsduring the mating season or when they have offspring.

The treatment of attacks by big cats is multifactorial.The patient usually presents with extensive skin lacera-tions and may have fractures and neurovascular injuries, espe-cially in the neck and head.11-13 Ideally, these injuries shouldbe managed in a trauma center by a surgical team employingradiological examinations searching for possible fractures.

Suturing the wounds may be necessary (there are 3considerations to suture a wound caused by a wild ani-mal: cosmetics, function, and risk factors) but predis-poses them to infection caused mainly by streptococciand staphylococci and, rarely, Pasteurella multocida.The preparation and cleansing of the wounds to be su-tured are main factors in the success of the measure.13

The risk factors for infection are: 1) location of the

Figure 4. A fatal predatory attack in which the victim was killed by biuscular and cutaneous tissue, blood vessels and nerves. Photographs

lesions (for example higher risk in areas of compromised d

vascularity); 2) type of the wound (deep punctures, macerated/crushed tissue are associated with joint or fracture contamina-tion); 3) the characteristics of the victim (older than 50 years,chronic diseases, immunocompromised); and 4) biting species(large cats produce deep punctures).13

The use of prophylactic antibiotics is not recom-mended in all cases but should be reserved for use inmoderate-to-high risk cases11-13 If used, antibiotics muste administered early and the recommended antibioticsnclude a penicillin and a first generation cephalosporin,r a second generation cephalosporin or Clindamycinnd a fluoroquinolone.13 Tetanus prophylaxis is neces-ary and rabies post-exposure prophylaxis treatment maye indicated depending on the epidemiology of terrestrialabies in the specific area.

In the Porto Jofre region (Cáceres county) and theest and north regions of the Pantanal, package tours

re offered to view jaguars in the wild. The animals arettracted with food (cevas) or by simulating calls madey females in the breeding season, using the esturrador,type of instrument made from bamboo (MFCN, per-

onal observation). These practices have made humanresence less intimidating for certain animals. Big catsan become very dangerous when surprised by suddenovements or unwary postures by tourists, especially

o the posterior cervical region. There is extensive destruction of bones,anoel Francisco de Campos Neto.

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uring the mating season or when cubs are present.

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Attacks by Jaguars on Humans in Brazil 135

Jaguar hunting has been practiced for centuries amongthe indigenous peoples in the Upper Xingu Reserve, whoinhabit the protected areas of Mato Grosso State. Hunt-ing is stimulated by social prestige of wearing the fur andclaws from a jaguar. One of the authors (DGN), duringfield work conducted in the Gaucha do Norte and Ca-narana municipalities (Mato Grosso State) reported 16jaguar specimens killed by a single hunter over a periodof about 10 years. Case 1 (non-fatal attack on the AwetiIndian) mimicked circumstances when hunting jaguars,where dogs are used to corner the cats in trees or water.

It is noteworthy that jaguar attacks under natural condi-tions are rare and that these animals prefer to feed on naturalprey such as capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), pec-caries (Pecari tajacu and Tayassu peccary), tapirs (Tapirusterrestris), and caimans (Alligatoridae family). The disap-pearance of wild spaces, however, has limited their pursuitof natural prey, and these animals need large areas tosurvive. This fact has favored the increase of conflictsbetween big cats and man in many locations around theworld.

Efforts by governmental and nongovernmental orga-nizations in recent decades have had some success infinding ways to minimize the deleterious effects of thesecontacts and to preserve the species. There are projects toindemnify farmers in areas where jaguars attack cattle,minimizing the impact of predation and compensatingthe farmers to prevent hunting of jaguars. Other organi-zations follow the movement of jaguars through electronicmonitoring, contributing to jaguar preservation. However,such encounters and potential fatalities in human/jaguarencounters may continue to occur in places where there islimited awareness of the potential threat, and when jaguarhabitat and natural prey are compromised.

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Centro Nacional dePesquisas para a Conservação de Predadores Naturais

(CENAP) for information on the fatal attacks.

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