Know some fun facts about Jaguar- National Animal and King of forest of Guyana

Guyana: Jaguar is the national animal of Guyana and is also known as the king of the forest of the country. Guyana is one of the few places on earth that has protected 26 of the world’s species threatened with extinction. It has some of the world’s richest biodiversity. 

READ HERE: Some fun facts about Jaguar found in Guyana

The Visit Guyana took to Facebook and shared some unknown facts about the Jaguar- the national animal of Guyana and stated that the government of Guyana is working to protect these species.

• The Jaguar is one of 6 wildcat species found in Guyana.
• The Jaguar is Guyana’s national animal.
• Jaguars are the largest of South America’s big cats and the third largest cats in the world
• they love water and are great swimmers
• Their fur is usually tan or orange with black spots, called “rosettes” because they are shaped like roses.
• The name jaguar comes from the Native American word yaguar, which means ‘he who kills with one leap’.
• Jaguars are the largest of South America’s big cats and the third largest cats in the world
• They have a mighty name.
• The word ‘jaguar’ comes from the indigenous word ‘yaguar’, which means ‘he who kills with one leap’.
• Jaguars have a more powerful bite than any other big cat.
• Their teeth are strong enough to bite through the thick hides of crocodilians and the hard shells of turtles.
• To the untrained eye, jaguars can be mistaken for leopards, but you can tell the difference from their rosettes (circular markings):
• Jaguars have black dots in the middle of some of their rosettes, whereas leopards don’t.
• The Jaguar is the national animal of Guyana.

The strength and courage of this native big cat make it the perfect symbol of the country. Guyana’s coat of arms features two jaguars.

In recent years, several countries in South America have seen a sharp increase in jaguar poaching.

Their fangs, skin, and other body parts are traded and used to make ornaments or “medicinal” products for markets in Asia. Increased surveillance and training are therefore necessary to help stop this, especially since jaguars are listed as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. 

The Jaguar is the largest specie of cat in the Americas and one of six found in Guyana. Elegant and elusive, it is our national animal and enjoys protected status in Guyana.  

Guyana has some of the world’s richest biodiversity , including

• Over 800 species of Birds
• Giants of our Rainforest including The Giant river otter, Giant anteater, Harpy Eagle, black caiman, Mighty Jaguar.
• In fact Guyana is one of the few places on earth that has protected 26 of the world’s species threatened with extinction.
• Guyana has over 10,000 plant and animal species including 6 species of wildcat, 8 species of monkey, over 700 species of fish, 20 species of parrot.