There Are No Wolves On Brazil

15 Oct, 2024

But We Have...

Lobo-guará, aguaraguaçu, or maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

• Despite the name, not actually a wolf.
• Despite the looks, not actually a fox.
• Omnivorous, but ~50% of its diet is a single fruit, called wolf-apple (lobeira).
• Solitary and shy, only attacks as a last resort.
• Used to be common, but now is endangered due to human destruction of its habitat.
• When? Mainly crepuscular.
• Where? Prefers tall grasslands and open fields, but can also be found in woodlands.
• Can you hear that? Roar-barks.

People say...

• Snakes:
  • "A maned wolf bitten by a poisonous snake survives, while the snake dies."
  • "A large snake can be found in the kidney of a freshly killed maned wolf."
  • "Ingesting 2 small heart pieces of a freshly killed maned wolf will avoid a snake bite victim's death."
  • "Keeping a piece of pelt in the pocket protects against snakes."
• Lungs:
  • "Certain parts of the maned wolf are used in local medicines to cure bronchitis."
  • "Hot tea prepared with the maned wolf‟s dried faeces cures persistent coughs."
• Luck:
  • "The tip of the tail is used as a lucky charm (amuleto)."
  • "The call of the maned wolf brings bad luck."
• Eyes:
  • "The maned wolf can attract chicken with its gaze."
  • "An eye taken from a live maned wolf can bring luck with “women and hazard games."
  • "If people want to shoot at the wolf with a gun, the maned wolf‟s gaze makes people miss their shot."

Cachorro-vinagre, aracambé, or bush dog (Speothos venaticus)

• Elusive and rare, even before extensive human interference.
• Called "vinegar-dogs" in Portuguese, due to the strong smell of the urine they spray.
• Lives in groups of 2-12 individuals, hunting cooperatively to compensate their small size.
• Compulsively social. Constantly communicates with its companions.
• Where? Forests and woodlands, usually near rivers.
• When? Mainly diurnal.
• Can you hear that? Whines and whistles.

People say...

• Domestication:
  • "Bush dogs are difficult or impossible to domesticate, due to their fierceness and all-meat diet."
  • "Indigenous people have occasionally kept bush dogs as pets and hunting dogs."
• Hunting:
  • "The bush dog is one of the best hunters in the forest."
  • "Indigenous people sing songs to their own dogs in hopes of passing on the bush dog’s skills."
  • "Hunters follow the bush dog’s high-pitched hunting barks in the hope of a stealing opportunity."
  • "According to the Quichua, sacha runa (forest people or spirits) use bush dogs as hunting dogs."
  • "The Quichua of eastern Ecuador are reluctant to capture or kill bush dogs, since it would be like stealing or killing a neighbour’s hunting dog."

Onça-pintada, jaguaretê, or jaguar (Panthera onca)

• Carnivore apex predator.
• Third largest feline in the world, and largest in the Americas.
• A stalker and prowler, it can clear twenty feet in one leap.
• Loves the water and spends a lot of time near or inside it.
• Approximately 6% of the population has a genetic mutation called melanism, which renders their fur completely black. These are the so-called "black panthers".
• When? Usually crepuscular or nocturnal.
• Where? From open fields to dense jungles, as long as there is a permanent water stream nearby.
• Can you hear that? Growls and roars that can be heard from miles away.

People say...

• Killing:
  • "Knowing how to hunt a jaguar demonstrates cunning and courage." [4]
  • "A warrior that kills a jaguar has proven themselves, and has the right to choose a new name." [7]
  • "Killing a jaguar is a very honorable way to pass into adulthood." [5]
  • "A jaguar's soul cannot be ritually killed, unlike those of humans. It stays with its killer, sleeping under their hammock, and reveals to them in dreams the spots where abundant game can be found." ^[8]
• Were-Jaguars:
  • "Each time a shaman dies, a jaguar is born." [10]
  • "If a jaguar kills a person, it is really a shaman in disguise." [10]
  • "Shamans who are dangerous and anti-social turn into Evil Jaguars, called Kenaima." [10]
  • "There are spirit assassins who live in the mountains. They paint themselves black, attack at night, and wear the skins of jaguars. They employ the use of poison to cause unnatural sleep." [10]
• Mythology:
  • "The Guarani people believe that the Apocalypse will be brought forth by the Celestial Jaguar Jaguarový, a colossal evil spirit that will devour both the Sun and the Moon. It is currently under the hammock of the God-creator Ñanderuvuçú, waiting as instructed. Eclipses occur when it escapes for brief periods, before being contained by its owner." [6]
  • "For the Achuar people, black jaguars are sobrenatural beings, employed as guardian hounds by the spirits of the waters." [9]

Notes

1. I have tried to maintain myself to Brazilian tribes and people, but sometimes I have stepped over into other Latin-american tribes.
2. This is not exhaustive.
3. I have summarized a lot of stuff.
4. I do not know if this is real. The quality of the sources varies.

Sources

1. Consorte-McCrea, A. G. (2011). Conservation of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus): carnivore and people relationships in the southeast of Brazil. Canterbury Christ Church University (United Kingdom).
2. Sillero-Zubiri, C., Hoffmann, M., & Macdonald, D. W. (Eds.). (2004). Canids: foxes, wolves, jackals, and dogs: status survey and conservation action plan (Vol. 95). Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
3. https://procarnivoros.org.br/en/animals/
4. Dario, F. R. (2024). Jaguar, cultural keystone species for the Indigenous people of Brazilian territory. World News of Natural Sciences, 55, 33-49.
5. Baptista, J. (2005). Matar um jaguar: a natureza na cultura guarani através do discurso missionário. História Unisinos, 9(1), 61-64.
6. Nimuendaju, C., Emmerich, C., & Viveiros de Castro, E. B. (1987). As lendas da criação e destruição do mundo como fundamentos da religião dos Apapocúva-Guarani.
7. Süssekind, F. (2018). O jaguar como signo de vida e morte. Revista Brasileira de Psicanálise, 52(1), 82-95.
8. Viveiros de Castro, E. (2012). Araweté–os deuses canibais.
9. Descola, P. (1996). La selva culta: simbolismo y praxis en la ecología de los Achuar (Vol. 17). Editorial Abya Yala.
10. Saunders, N. J. (2013). Icons of power: feline symbolism in the Americas. Routledge.

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