Many pro-Colombian civilizations worshiped the powerful Jaguar and world renown conservationist Alan Rabinowitz highlights this in his Jaguar book. If you have a question about Jaguar Alan Rabinowitz as few people know more as much on this big cat in Latin America than this dude. He recounts the mythical folklore of indigenous cultures for this animal and gives a brief history of e evolution of this mammal. The Jaguar has survived in North America has so many other big predators failed and became extinct and Rabinowitz gives complex reasons why this is the case in his book called "An Indomitable Beast". This cat always gives me chills and awe when I see it at zoos dumbstruck by its beauty and surprised by its brute savage strength. The situation for this animal is precarious as an expanding peon Central American population threatens the jungle habitat and future of this amazing animal. Modern Guatemalan and El Salvador peasants don't have the same spirituality for the jaguar and many jaguars are killed for sport or revenge when some old cow gets mauled. Alan goes into detail of the Olmec civilization and how the distinction between man and Jaguar was blurred for them. Maya,Zapotec,Izapa,and Toltecs all revered this indomitable beast as much as Alan Rabinowitz does to modern times and the Jaguars future would be more bright if the dependents of all these Indians relished this creature as they should and seeing how screwed up and violent their youth gangs are perhaps going back to ancient beliefs would do Central Americans some good. The position of the Jaguar has changed it what will never change is the resplendent ability of the Jaguar to survive against all odds and hardships.
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