Onca d’agua
Something’s fishy in the water,
searched by Giant River Otter.
To the fluid flow it steals,
hunting for a piscine meal.
Not long it takes for it to be,
the otter feasts exuberantly.
So Giant River Otter are,
best of fishers yet by far ...
a truly efficient predator,
not unlike a Jaguar.
The Giant River Otter [or Giant Otter], sometimes known colloquially as Onca d’agua [Portuguese for Jaguar of the water], is not really a Jaguar at all. In fact, they are members of the mustelid or weasel family and hold the distinction of being the longest creatures in that group. A mature Giant River Otter may reach a length of between five and six feet. Once prevalent, this puckish South American species is considered rare today.
~ Essay, poem and Giant River Otter capture, Onca d’agua © Jerry L. Ferrara