Apparently, from the scent (marking), it had been following my
colleague and I for about 1/2 an hour that night as we must have been
walking through it's territory. But we never saw or heard it so I
have no idea how big or small it was. We only picked up a very strong
odor, so we knew it was nearby. When we split to go off in different
directions, it kept tracking me. Also, my guess is that the dominant
ambient soundscape masked any pawsteps that might have otherwise been
remotely evident.
While I was aware of its presence (and knew from my colleague's
informed response that it was, indeed, a jaguar) I wasn't
particularly frightened. Only very conscious of my own movements in
relation to what I could only imagine were those of the cat. What
surprised me and caused a significant rise in blood pressure was the
sound at the mic, which I had just set up. The sniffing in my ear
(thru the headphones) was an illusion a bit too close for comfort and
a close mic presence usually reserved for non-predators.
Bernie
Wild Sanctuary, Inc.
P. O. Box 536
Glen Ellen, California 95442-0536
Tel: (707) 996-6677
Fax: (707) 996-0280
http://www.wildsanctuary.com
>Bernie,
>
>As one of the 7500 owners of your book, I have to ask one question
>about the thoroughly amazing Jaguar cut on the book's CD:
>
>The recording of the cat's sniffing around your mic are very clear
>(and deeply chilling), yet I can hear no sound of the cat's approach
>on the trail, or any movement around the mic. Did you edit out these
>sounds, or can a 200 lb Jaguar move so silently through the forest
>that your sensitive mic didn't record its passing?
>
>I bet a change of underwear was in order after that encounter!
>
>--oryoki
>
>
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