Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TheNajTunichcaveshavelongbeenalocalattractionandwereevenfeaturedin
the August 1981 issue of
National Geographic.
The caves, which are more than
one kilometer long, are famous for their intricate murals and hieroglyphic text.
NajTunichappearstohavebeenoneofthemosthighlyreveredsitesintheMay-
an world, and it is known that several of the glyphs were painted by scribes from
such faraway cities as Calakmul, in present-day Mexico.
The caves were defaced some years ago and the site was closed to visitors.
A replica of the caves is now open. Check with the staff at Finca Ixobel (tel.
5892-3188,
www.fincaixobel.com
)
for details.
Among the most beautiful and highly revered rainforest animals both in ancient
and modern times is the jaguar
(Panthera onca),
which inhabits Mexico, Central
America, and parts of South America. It is one of the big cats, along with the
leopard, lion, and tiger, and is the third-largest of these. Jaguars are similar to
leopards,thoughtheirspotspresentdifferentarrangements (theyarespotswithin
spots, or rosettes, and are larger). Jaguars are also stockier in build. They inhabit
mostlyforestedlandsbutwillalsorangeacrossgrasslandsandopenterrain.Also
notable is their love of water and ability to swim. These gorgeous jungle cats
are largely solitary and known for their hunting skills. They will attack cattle on
areas fringing jungle zones and have been known to attack jungle camps to stalk
human prey, usually children. Their powerful jaws are capable of puncturing tor-
toise shells.
Perhaps for these reasons, the Mayans had great respect and reverence for the
jaguar, which they called
balam.
Jaguars were a symbol of power and strength
and were believed to act as mediums for communication between the living and
the dead. Kings were often given names incorporating the word
balam,
which
theyviewedastheircompanionsinthespiritualworldandprotectorsoftheroyal
household.Rulerswearingjaguarpeltsandman-jaguarfiguresfrequentlyappear
in pre-Columbian art. The jaguar was the patron deity of Tikal and is featured in
a royal burial scene depicted on a human bone fragment found in the burial tomb
of Hasaw Chan K'awil (Heavenly Standard Bearer) in which the ruler travels to
the underworld in a canoe rowed by mythical animal figures.
Ranges for female jaguars are in the vicinity of 25-40 square kilometers, with
the range of males being roughly twice as much and encompassing that of 2-3
females. Male jaguars' ranges do not overlap. For this reason, attempts to con-
serve existing numbers of jaguars require large expanses of territory such as that
