Jaguar attack on a child: case report and literature review

West J Emerg Med. 2015 Mar;16(2):303-9. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2015.1.24043. Epub 2015 Feb 26.

Abstract

Jaguar attacks on humans rarely occur in the wild. When they do, they are often fatal. We describe a jaguar attack on a three-year-old girl near her home deep in a remote area of the Guyanese jungle. The patient had a complex but, relatively, rapid transport to a medical treatment facility for her life-threatening injuries. The child, who suffered typical jaguar-inflicted injury patterns and survived, is highlighted. We review jaguar anatomy, environmental status, hunting and killing behaviors, and discuss optimal medical management, given the resource-limited treatment environment of this international emergency medicine case.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bites and Stings / etiology
  • Bites and Stings / surgery*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Emergency Treatment
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Panthera*