A tour guide filmed the terrifying moment he and a group he was leading survived being attacked by a jaguar.
Fernando Tapia Vera was exploring the jungle with tourists.
The male big cat suddenly darts towards the group from out of nowhere.
READ MORE: VIDEO: Biker survives horror crash as ‘drink-driver’ swerves into him and flips car
They can be heard making loud, animal-like grunts in a bid to scare the large beast away.
But it’s not enough to stop the jaguar from pouncing on Fernando.
Luckily, the attack is fleeting and the tour guide only gets a few scratches to his legs from its claws.
He grabs a machete and begins hacking away at the undergrowth near Puerto Maldonado, Peru, to frighten the feline off.
As it finally retreats into the jungle, one of the group can be heard uttering “F*cking hell” in relief.
Fernando said: “I always wanted to see one, but not like this.
“Recently I was walking in the jungle, as usual, a normal day.
“And as I went deeper and deeper, I realized that I was not alone.
“So I stopped and looked in all directions and managed to observe something behind some bushes just a few metres away from me.
“It was the mighty jaguar.
“I stared into his eyes, waiting for his movement.
“Suddenly he rushed towards us, we shouted to let him know that we were not afraid of him.
“The jaguar stopped but immediately changed his mind and jumped on me.
“Miraculously it didn’t give me anything but a few scratches.
“I thought he would go away but no, he stayed for a couple more minutes.
“It seemed like hours until he got bored and turned around and we never saw him again.”
Fernando continued: “It was a unique and memorable encounter.
“In the end, it was just a good memory.
“The jaguar left and we too went on our way.
“But of course, I am more alert than ever.
“No one was hurt, we are all fine.
“The jaguar just got lost in the bushes and we never saw it again.”
Biologist Gustavo Figueiroa told Latin American media that after spotting the big cat, the group should have moved away silently.
He said: “It’s a bluff attack, as it jumps and moves forward just to intimidate.
“And that’s the most common thing with jaguars, they give a warning signal to stay away when they feel cornered, but since they stayed there, it went after them.”
However, after the jaguar charged them, he says, the group did the right thing.
Figueiroa said: “They stepped back, raised their hands, made noise.
“In short, they scared it off and showed they outnumbered it.”
READ MORE: VIDEO: Tragedy as two kids and toddler are killed by rockfall at huge dolphin statue
