Jaguar Brothers- Pantanal in Brazil

The jaguar is considered a keystone species- a species which has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance. As the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere and the 3rd largest cat in the world (after tigers and lions), jaguars play an indispensable role in controlling populations of herbivores. When jaguars disappear, overgrazing results and forests suffer. This is one of several jaguar photos that made my top 30 for 2019, a very impressive animal.