Jaguar Sets Records by Swimming Over 1.3 Kilometers

The camera trap captured footage of a jaguar swimming at least 1.3 kilometers on the island of Ceradam Saddam in central Brazil.

Interestingly, it’s suggested that the jaguar may have swum nearly twice that distance. To reach the island, it needed a 1 km swim to a smaller island, followed by a 1.3 km swim, or a direct 2.3 km swim from the mainland without a break.

“We speculate this cat used a small island as a stepping point,” said Leandro Silveira from the Jaguar Conservation Fund in Brazil. “In fact, I managed to swim a straight 2.3-kilometer stretch.”

According to Silveira, this is the longest confirmed swim by a large cat documented through direct evidence. Jaguars are indeed powerful swimmers, adept at hunting caimans underwater. However, there have been no previous reports of them swimming beyond 200 meters at one time, according to Silveira.

In 2020, Silveira’s team placed multiple camera traps around Ceradam Saddam. In May that year, an adult male jaguar was recorded on the mainland. Fast forward four years to August 2024, and the same jaguar (recognized by its unique coat pattern) was detected on the island’s camera.

This adds to prior sightings, including a collared cougar that swam 1.1 km on Skaxin Island off the coast of Washington, indicating that local cougars might swim up to 2 km to various islands. Last year, two male lions were also photographed swimming in waterways in Uganda, with estimated distances of 1-1.5 km. Their motivation appeared to be reaching a woman calling from the other side.

The reasons behind the jaguar’s long swim remain unclear. “The island is relatively small,” Silveira explains. “As far as we are aware, it does not have an abundance of prey that would make it particularly appealing.”

The jaguar might have the capability to swim even further. Malaca – The Dipioca Islands are located over 5 km from the Brazilian coast. Potential mating with mainland jaguars.