Jaguar's Shadow: Searching for a Mythic Cat

by Richard Mahler

In the tradition of Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard , an intimate portrait of the endangered, exotic, and elusive jaguar

When the nature writer Richard Mahler discovers that wild jaguars are prowling a remote corner of his home state of New Mexico, he embarks on a determined quest to see in the flesh a big, beautiful cat that is the stuff of legend—yet verifiably real. Mahler’s passion sets in motion a years-long adventure through trackless deserts, steamy jungles, and malarial swamps, as well as a confounding immersion in centuries-old debates over how we should properly regard these powerful as varmints or as icons, trophies or gods? He is drawn from border badlands south to Panama’s rain forest along a route where the fate of nearly all wildlife now rests in human hands. Mahler’s odyssey introduces him to unrepentant poachers, pragmatic ranchers, midnight drug-runners, ardent conservationists, trance-induced shamans, hopeful biologists, stodgy bureaucrats, academic philosophers, macho hunters, and gentle Maya Indians. Along the way, he is forced to reconsider the true meaning of his search—and the enduring symbolism of the jaguar.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

375 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Brian Switek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part travelogue, part jaguar compendium, Mahler's book is driven by that most common of field memoir desires - to see something wild. He doesn't succeed, but this is ancillary to his goal of exploring whether we can save the big cat that's transfixed him. The writing is matter-of-fact - like a 300+ page news item - and some of the chapters, such as the one that recounts the history of Jaguar cars, could have been trimmed, but the book is still a worthwhile exploration of what it means to want to save a charismatic species.

[J.E. Pinto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review
The Jaguar's Shadow: Searching for a Mythic Cat
by Richard Mahler

Kindle Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Side-Da...

"The Jaguar's Shadow" by Richard Mahler is an interesting book--part travel journal, part science text, and part personal memoir. After discovering that the beautiful, elusive big cats that have fascinated him since his youth have been traversing a remote corner of New Mexico, the author sets out on a quest to see one of them in its natural habitat. That quest carries him across the deserts, jungles, and swamps of the Southern and Western Hemispheres, puts him in contact with everyone from ranchers and poachers to scientists and burucrats, from drug dealers and conservationists to animal trainers and tribal leaders, and makes him question what matters most to him.

Although I found parts of the book tedious to wade through, much of the information about jaguars themselves was fasinating. I enjoyed reading about the big cats in their natural habitats and the efforts that are underway to save them and conserve space for them. Although the author failed in his quest to see a jaguar in its natural habitat, he learned an immeasurable amount about the cats that have fascinated humankind since the days before recorded history, and his book has contributed greatly to our understanding of these mythical creatures.

[Bryce Kirkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating and intriguing book that was very hard to put down. It is probably the most intimate book about one of the world's most elusive animals and talks about the jaguar as a deity, an emblem and of course the animal itself. It talks about some of the most influential figures in jaguar conservation such as Alan Rabinowitz and Sharon Matola. There were passages that were frustrating, hopeful, beautiful and eye-opening in equal measure. I loved all the in-depth conversations the author had with ranchers, shamans, conservationists and all the wonderful and wild places he traveled to in the hope of catching even a glimpse of this beautiful, mysterious felid. Overall, a fantastic book for anyone interested in or wanting to learn more about these cats and how we have and do view them.

[David Corleto-Bales]

Richard Mahler spent the better part of three years researching jaguars, the largest felid of the Americas and the second largest in the world after seeing the amazing story of how trackers on a mountain lion hunt in New Mexico stumbled upon a jaguar in the United States. As he delved into the subject he was surprised to find out that the historic range of the animal extended into the American southwest, California, and perhaps even farther. Mahler tramps through deserts, swamps, rain forests and thickets from Paraguay's Chaco to Arizona, never actually seeing a wild jaguar, (they are very elusive!) but becoming enchanted with a beast that indigenous people worshiped as an ancestor and that modern people seem to regard as a commodity, (their skin or trophy) or as the killer of livestock, (mostly exaggerated.) Highly recommended reading!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I would like to go on an adventure to see a Jaguar in the wild myself, so I was naturally intrigued. The author also notes a lot of the work by Alan Rabinowitz, someone I respect greatly. I have also been to the Cockscomb basin and seen signs of Puma but no jaguars… next time!

Overall I think this is a good book and the author’s passion for the subject really came through.

[Joseph Gendron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying account of the jaguar and its place in the modern world. Mahler is excellent in his descriptions of its natural history and how it manages to survive. I now want to understand more about its struggles in the face of guns and dogs and the efforts to develop protected areas.

[Shawn Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less ecology than I wanted, but a good coverage of all things jaguar, from popular culture, to natural history, to future outlook.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

An overly lengthy rambling mishmash of jaguar biology, mythology, and conservation mixed with the author's narrative of his journey through Central America in a personal quest to see a wild jaguar. Could've been more tightly organised and succinct, as it gets repetitive towards the last quarter, no doubt a consequence of having to organize and compile tons of notes and data over many years of research into a single book. A waste he did not go to the Pantanal region, which is probably the stronghold of jaguars. Still, his passion for the animal and the difficulties and emotions in the quest are heart stirring at times since I can empathize with those feelings, having done the same albeit on a much more adhoc basis..

[Toffana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun read. It's a combination natural history and travel log.