JAGUAR: One Man's Struggle to Establish the World's First Jaguar Preserve

A jungle adventure story in the classic mold, of a daredevil westerner (this time a conservationist on the staff of the N.Y. Zoological Society) who penetrates the deepest jungles of Belize in search of his quarry. There are thrills and chills aplenty in this quest for the mighty feline. The romantic tone of the story is established at the outset by the first chapter, which puts the reader in the middle of fabulous lore about the jaguar. The one main difference between this and earlier adventure narratives is the amount of material about the author's love life. We are immediate confidantes, learning about ""the woman I thought I could love if 1 gave it a chance."" Later, other chances appear and there are steaming passages that might come from a Hollywood movie: ""When our naked bodies came together, feelings burst forth that I had long subdued. . . .I made love with a ferocity I didn't know was in me."" Readers of Sir David Living-stone might not have known either that an explorer could have such experiences in such a rough setting. Otherwise, the trip is tough going indeed. There are harrowing descriptions of a plane crash and snake bites, yet the ending is (at least tentatively) a happy one. Authorities in Belize (known as British Honduras until 1981) agree to set up a wildlife preserve to protect the dwindling numbers of jaguars. The program seems to have succeeded, as the population is now on the rise. A lively, dramatic ride through the jungle, with old-style iron-man adventure and love interest. A pleasant surprise.