I grappled with a charging jaguar using only my bare hands in order to rescue my nephews

A courageous uncle emerged as a hero when he confronted a jaguar with his bare hands to protect his nephews during a camping trip in Salt do Augusto, Brazil, on August 13, as reported by Newsflash.

Erivaldo Moriman had just returned from a morning walk along the Juruena River when he witnessed the jaguar attacking his teenage nephews, aged 15 and 18. Swiftly, he shouted and waved his arms to divert the big cat’s attention away from the youngsters.

However, the diversion tactic proved to be a double-edged sword, as the jaguar lunged at Moriman, bringing him to the ground. In a desperate struggle, Moriman managed to seize the jaguar’s leg, but it retaliated by biting his head, leaving him with severe scalp wounds and a face covered in blood.

Recalling the harrowing experience, Moriman stated, “She dropped the boys and came at me. I shouted to the boys that the jaguar was going to get me, and when they looked up, it had already got me.”

Despite his injuries, Moriman clung to the jaguar’s leg behind a tree trunk, attempting to escape. However, the determined big cat attacked him again, inflicting further wounds to his head.

Moriman endured excruciating pain as he had to endure a two-hour boat ride to reach a private lodge’s airstrip, where he could finally receive medical assistance. Fortunately, a doctor was present at the lodge and provided initial aid. Subsequently, Moriman endured another three-hour journey to Albert Sabin Regional Hospital in Alta Floresta.

His horrific head injuries necessitated 150 stitches, and he was released from the hospital the following day. Moriman’s ordeal is a testament to his remarkable bravery and his determination to protect his nephews.

Jaguars possess the most formidable bite among all big cats, as noted by the UK’s World Wildlife Fund, relying on powerful teeth and jaws to subdue prey three to four times their own weight, typically delivering a fatal bite to the back of the skull rather than targeting the neck or throat, as other big cats do.