I found an injured cub on the road leading inland here in Mato Grosso do Sul. I'm not sure if it's better to leave it there, try to give it water, or call someone. What do you guys think I should do in this situation?
Are you sure it's a jaguar cub and not another type of big cat? Because that changes the protocol quite a bit, but either way the main action is the same.
First thing: don't touch the animal with your bare hands. A jaguar is a wild animal and it's injured, so it might bite or scratch you out of fear or pain. If you want to help, wear gloves or use a thick cloth. Water is a good idea, yeah, but put it in a small bowl and leave it nearby - don't hold it in your hand. Let it drink if it wants to. The important thing right now is to call your regional environmental police or IBAMA urgently. If there's a wildlife rescue organization in Mato Grosso do Sul, call them too. Explain the exact location (including which road, because jaguars move fast), and let the professionals handle it. An injured cub could have an infection, severe pain, or need sedation to be moved.
In the meantime, keep other people and pets away from the spot if you can, but stay safe. Don't try to take it home or anything, no matter how helpless it looks - it's a wild animal even if it's small, and you could get hurt. The environmental agencies have the experience and equipment for this. Send a message to the environmental police with a photo if you can get one (from a distance, safely) and the location. The sooner they're called, the better the cub's chances.
Just call an environmental agency directly like IMAFLORA or ICMBio instead of trying to help on your own - an injured big cat cub is a serious situation and you could end up hurting yourself or making the animal worse! While you wait for someone to arrive, keep your distance, don't offer water or food (it could aspirate and get worse), and mark the location well to make the rescue easier. Those of us without experience end up doing more harm than good in these situations, so leave it to the people who know what they're doing!
Contacting environmental authorities is really the right move here, but while you're waiting for a response let me give you a practical tip that people forget: mark the exact spot clearly with something visible (a bottle, a cloth tied to a tree) because then it's complicated to find the same place again. Also take a clear photo of the wound if you can from a distance, without getting too close to the animal. Environmental organizations can respond much faster when they have visual information.
In terms of emergency, even though it might seem like the cub is abandoned, the truth is the mother could be nearby watching. Wild felines can be unpredictable when they feel threatened, and an injured jaguar is even more dangerous. Leaving water is tempting, but the less you disturb the animal, the better. Call the Environmental Police of Mato Grosso do Sul or organizations like the Jaguar Institute if you have contact info - they know exactly what to do and have the right equipment.
Log into answer.
