When hikers stumbled upon a severely wounded creature in the rainforest of Ecuador, they proceeded with caution. The animal was understandably frightened and while they could have continued along their journey and ignored their find, the hikers just could not leave her alone.
Instead, they sought help from professionals who swooped in to save the gorgeous creature’s life at an animal hospital in Quito. D’Yaria was not even yet one-year-old when the hikers discovered her unable to move in the jungle.
This poor jaguar was paralyzed after and could only move her head around. Rescuers believed her to be an orphan, since she was just 11-months-old when she was found and jaguars at this age usually are still in the care of their mothers.
They say the jaguar they named D’Yaria, which means “brave jaguar,” would have perished from starvation if the hikers didn’t take action to save her. Veterinarians believe both she and her mother were attacked by local farmers likely defending their cattle from perceived predators.
What they found in her X-rays stunned them…
D’Yaria underwent two spinal surgeries that surgeons did not believe she would survive. But this little fighter did and not long after surgery, she began struggling to stand and walk around.
Eventually, she began recovering safely in an enclosure at an outdoor nature park. As she works on getting stronger and relearning how to walk again, she one day will be re-released into the wild.
However, to help keep D’Yaria safe, Darwin Animal Doctors raised enough money to purchase a satellite tracking collar since jaguars are an endangered species. When a jaguar is harmed or worse, it actually is a crime.
Watch this incredible story about D’Yaria’s fight to survive and exactly what the X-rays revealed in the video below. She is such a trooper!