Peru
The giant pictograms that can be found in Peru’s Nazca Desert are justifiably world famous and well deserving of their status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These vast pictures, best seen from the air, depict a number of animals including both spiders and birds. Understandably the reason for the creation of these images has spawned many a theory, from the use of airships long before air travel was suspected, to Erich von Däniken’s ancient astronauts.
Today’s mystery animal is another mystery cat. You will find over the next few months that they do tend to crop up a lot; this isn’t due to me just looking at cats but rather to the fact that many countries have tales of them. The particular feline I’m looking at in Peru is the Cunarid Din, also described as the speckled tiger or speckled jaguar. It’s described as being roughly the same size as a jaguar but with a larger head; its coat is grey and covered in solid black speckles, which contrast to the jaguar’s golden coat and dark rosettes. It’s rumoured to be found at altitudes around 1,600 feet. Some time between the1970s and the late 1980s it is claimed that native hunters had killed and skinned one of these mystery cats. Unfortunately it appears that no researcher has come across that pelt yet, but who knows; perhaps one day soon they will.
Tomorrow we shall continue our travels by heading off to Ecuador.
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