Pieced together

I'm sure it is apparent that this rather odd image is pieced together with the help of software. The jaguar was photographed walking "into" the frame and then "out" of it two seconds later on 6 January 2010. Ben has been operating two camera traps at Chan Chich and recently loaned me the third. I've moved it between a couple locations on the Hillbank Road, east of Gallon Jug, in places where I'd successfully camera-trapped jaguars some years ago during two jaguar density studies.

This camera trap was placed at Gallon Jug's lower escarpment overlook which in the past, has been a good place for cat photos. I think that's because they prefer using the road rather than clambering over the changing topography there. Not that they couldn't do it -- it's by no means all that challenging. But the road is a low-effort way to get from Point A to Point B.

Of course I consulted my jaguar database. This cat is a stranger. If I had to guess gender (since that isn't immediately apparent), I'd say "female," but it could be a youngish male. Only more photos can say for sure. And, there's other one coming up ...