After an injured jaguar was spotted swimming in a Brazilian river, authorities offered it a ride back to shore and into a veterinary clinic where it was treated for multiple injuries, including gunshot wounds.
The big cat, which was found in Brazil‘s Rio Negro by military police who just happened to be cruising by, grabbed hold of a floatation device. Judging from the video, it was close to giving up and accepted the help quickly. According to reports, it was first seen near Ponta Negra Beach.
After the animal grabbed onto the floatation device, it was taken to the vet, where it was found to have bullet fragments under its skin. It is currently recovering at a zoo in Manaus before it will be released back into the wild.
Since all big cats are a protected species in Brazil, officials have opened an investigation into who shot it. Thankfully the people who found it were able to rescue it, and hopefully it is released back into its home safely.
