Wildlife fans have been left stunned after a rare black jaguar was filmed mating with a spotted male in the Amazon – a first for researchers.
The incredible footage was captured on camera traps deep in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.
Only around 10 per cent of jaguars are black, a result of a genetic mutation called melanism.
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That makes this intimate glimpse of the elusive big cat even more extraordinary, experts say.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA), who were involved in the study, say the video sheds new light on jaguar behaviour and underlines the importance of conservation.
“We hit the proverbial jackpot and captured the first-ever video trap footage of a black jaguar mating with a spotted male in the wild,” Prof Carlos Peres, from UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences, told Need To Know.
“The six-minute sequence shows courtship and copulation – if they’d moved a few metres we would have missed everything!
“Despite the vast size of the Pan-Amazon region, we still know surprisingly little about many of its species – especially how they behave in the wild.
This footage not only adds to our understanding of jaguars but also shows how much is still left to discover about everyday Amazonian wildlife.”
The study found that despite their very different coats, the black and spotted jaguars showed no obvious differences in mating behaviour.
Experts hope the findings could help improve artificial insemination timing and assessments of mate compatibility for jaguars in captivity.
The research also highlights the value of camera traps and other non-invasive tools for studying shy, elusive species.
Future studies will explore whether melanism affects mating success, social behaviour, or other aspects of jaguar life, researchers said.
The footage captured in September 2023 at Serra do Pardo National Park.
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