Perspectivism and shamanism in the Jungian clinic: the jaguar as an archetypal image of the Latin American cultural unconscious.

Amerindians, living in a perspective of synchronicity, attribute to symmetry a negative value that produces an understanding of unstable dualism cosmologies, in a continuous and dynamic imbalance, in a notion of complementarity between conscious and unconscious. These notions are in line with the view of synchronicity proposed by Jung (1952/1972) and Cambray (2013), a view that expands temporal, acausal boundaries, within a perspective of interconnection, resonance and correspondence. Amerindian epistemologies break-up the discontinuity between animals and humans. By establishing a parallel with the Jungian concept of the relationship between unconscious and conscious, we reach a dimension of personification of both, a continuous and permanent flow of meaning. We introduce the jaguar as a symbol of Amerindian cultures and as an archetypal image of the numinosum that activates the unconscious, in asymmetrical and symmetrical movements. This is a qualitative contribution of indigenous mythologies to the understanding of the relationship between unconscious and conscious. Through perspectivism and Amerindian shamanism, we reflect on the archetypal image of the jaguar, as a mythological Latin American knowledge, which contributes to an understanding of the human being in the world, in an instinctive and spiritual integration. Recognizing this cosmos expands the ability to observe and access another point of view, in which the human being is seen in the jaguar, a personification or psychification of his unconscious. In clinical practice, it means finding the humanity that was left behind by that human who became an animal. The shaman, as a therapist, takes on the role of an active interlocutor in the exchange of human and non-human subjectivities, in an amplification process.

Les Amérindiens, vivants dans une perspective de synchronicité, attribuent à la symétrie une valeur négative, qui produit une compréhension des cosmologies du dualisme instable, dans un déséquilibre continu et dynamique, avec la notion de complémentarité entre conscient et inconscient. Ces notions sont en cohérence avec la vision de synchronicité proposée par Jung (1952/1972) et Cambray (2013), une vision qui élargit les frontières temporelles et acausales, dans une perspective d'interconnexion, de résonnance et de correspondance. Les épistémologies amérindiennes cassent la discontinuité entre les animaux et les humains. En établissant un parallèle avec le concept de relation entre inconscient et conscient, nous atteignons la dimension de personnification des deux, un flux permanent de sens. Nous introduisons le jaguar en tant que symbole des cultures amérindiennes et image archétypale du numineux qui active l'inconscient, dans des mouvements asymétriques et symétriques. Il s'agit là d'une contribution qualitative des mythologies indigènes à la compréhension de la relation entre inconscient et conscient. A travers le perspectivisme et le chamanisme amérindien, nous réfléchissons à l'image archétypale du jaguar, en tant que savoir mythologique Amérindien, qui contribue à la compréhension de l'être humain dans le monde, dans une intégration instinctive et spirituelle. Reconnaitre ce cosmos élargit notre capacité à observer et à avoir accès à un autre point de vue, dans lequel l'être humain est vu dans le jaguar, une personnification ou psychification de son inconscient. Dans la pratique clinique, cela signifie de trouver l'humanité qui a été abandonnée par l'humain qui est devenu animal. Le chamane, en tant que thérapeute, prend le rôle d'un interlocuteur actif dans l'échange de subjectivités humaines et non-humaines, dans un processus d'amplification.

Los indios americanos, habitando en una perspectiva de sincronicidad, atribuyen a la simetría un valor negativo dando lugar a una comprensión sobre las cosmologías de un dualismo inestable, en un desbalance continuo y dinámico, y en una noción de complementariedad entre consciente e inconsciente. Estas nociones son similares con la mirada sobre sincronicidad propuesta por Jung (1952/1972) y por Cambray (2013), una mirada que expande las fronteras temporales, acausales, dentro de una perspectiva de interconexión, resonancia y correspondencia. Las epistemologías amerindias rompen con la discontinuidad entre animales y humanos. Al establecer un paralelismo con el concepto Junguiano de la relación entre inconsciente y consciente, alcanzamos una dimensión en la cual se personifica a ambos, en un constante y permanente fluir de sentidos. Introducimos el yaguar como símbolo de las culturas amerindias y como imagen arquetípica de lo numinoso que se activa en el inconsciente, en movimientos asimétricos y simétricos. Es una contribución cualitativa de las mitologías indígenas a la comprensión de la relación entre inconsciente y consciente. A través del perspectivismo y del shamanismo amerindio, nos proponemos reflexionar sobre la imagen arquetípica del yaguar, como conocimiento mitológico latinoamericano, el cual contribuye a una comprensión del ser humano en el mundo, en una integración instintiva y espiritual. Reconocer este cosmos expande la habilidad para observar y acceder a otro punto de vista, en el que el ser humano es visto en el yaguar, como una personificación o psiquización de su inconsciente. En la práctica clínica, significa encontrar la humanidad que fue dejada atrás por aquel humano devenido en animal. El/la shaman/a como terapeuta, toma el rol de un interlocutor activo en el intercambio de subjetividades humanas y no-humanas, en un proceso de amplificación.

Os ameríndios, vivendo em uma perspectiva de sincronicidade, atribuem à simetria um valor negativo que produz uma compreensão das cosmologias instáveis do dualismo, em um desequilíbrio contínuo e dinâmico, em uma noção de complementaridade entre consciente e inconsciente. Essas noções estão de acordo com a visão de sincronicidade proposta por Jung (1952/1972) e Cambray (2013), uma visão que expande as fronteiras temporais e acausais, dentro de uma perspectiva de interconexão, ressonância e correspondência. Epistemologias ameríndias rompem a descontinuidade entre animais e humanos. Estabelecendo um paralelo com o conceito junguiano da relação entre inconsciente e consciente, alcançamos uma dimensão de personificação de ambos, um fluxo contínuo e permanente de significado. Apresentamos a onça-pintada como um símbolo das culturas ameríndias e como uma imagem arquetípica do numinoso que ativa o inconsciente, em movimentos assimétricos e simétricos. Esta é uma contribuição qualitativa das mitologias indígenas para a compreensão da relação entre inconsciente e consciente. Através do perspectivismo e do xamanismo ameríndio, refletimos sobre a imagem arquetípica da onça-pintada, como um conhecimento mitológico latino-americano, que contribui para uma compreensão do ser humano no mundo, em uma integração instintiva e espiritual. Reconhecer esse cosmos expande a capacidade de observar e acessar outro ponto de vista, no qual o ser humano é visto na onça-pintada, uma personificação ou ou psiqueificação de seu inconsciente. Na prática clínica, significa encontrar a humanidade que foi deixada para trás por aquele humano que se tornou um animal. O xamã, como terapeuta, assume o papel de interlocutor ativo na troca de subjetividades humanas e não humanas, em um processo de amplificação.

Dietary lutein supplementation improves immunity and antioxidant status of captive Indian leopards (Panthera fusca).

Indian leopards kept in zoos are fed solely on carabeef on bone (CBB) diets. Carabeef contains lesser or no carotenoids. Hence, the captive Indian leopard diets are suspected to be deficient in carotenoids while their wild counterparts acquire these pigments from their natural prey. Lutein is a vital carotenoid that plays its role as an antioxidant and immunomodulator. This experiment investigates the effect of lutein supplementation on antioxidant status, immunity, and stress in captive Panthera fusca fed CBB diets. Nine leopards were used based on 3 × 3 replicated Latin square designs in the experiment. Groups CON, LUT20, and LUT40 were supplemented with 0, 20, and 40 ppm of lutein, respectively. Each experiment comprised of 10 days of wash-out period, 11 days of adaptation, and 4 days of collection. Digestibility of crude protein (CP) was higher (p < .01) in groups LUT20 and LUT40. Serum concentration of protein, globulin, urea (p < .05), total carotenoids, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT) activity, and lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) index were higher (p < .001) in groups LUT20 and LUT40. Activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and serum concentration of immunoglobulin were higher (p < .001) in group LUT20. Serum concentration of malonaldehyde (MDA) and fecal concentration of cortisol decreased (p < .001) in groups LUT20 and LUT40. Serum concentration of total immunoglobulin (µg/ml) and LTT were higher in group LUT20. Fecal concentration of cortisol (ng/g) was lower in LUT20 and LUT40. The study concludes that supplementation of lutein at 20 ppm would improve antioxidant status and immunity and alleviate stress in captive Indian leopards.

Illegal trade in wild cats and its link to Chinese-led development in Central and South America.

Seizures of hundreds of jaguar heads and canines in Central and South America from 2014 to 2018 resulted in worldwide media coverage suggesting that wildlife traffickers are trading jaguar body parts as substitutes for tiger parts to satisfy the demand for traditional Asian medicine. We compiled a data set of >1000 seized wild cats (jaguar [Panthera onca], puma [Puma concolor], and ocelot [Leopardus pardalis]) from 19 Central and South American countries and China. We ran generalized additive mixed models to detect trends in wild-cat seizures from 2012 to 2018 and assess the effects of socioeconomic factors of source countries and between those countries and China on the number of wild cats seized. Jaguar seizures increased over time, and most of the seized jaguar pieces were canines (1991 of 2117). Around 34% (32 of 93) of the jaguar-part seizure reports were linked with China, and these seizures contained 14-fold more individuals than those intended for domestic markets. Source countries with relatively high levels of corruption and Chinese private investment and low income per capita had 10-50 times more jaguar seizures than the remaining sampled countries. The number of Chinese residents in Central and South America was not significantly related to the number of jaguars seized. No socioeconomic factors influenced the seizures of puma and ocelots. Legal market chains may provide structure for the illegal chain; thus, the influx of illegal jaguar products is potentially a side effect of the economic partnership between Central and South American countries and China. Poverty and high levels of corruption in the source countries may motivate local people to engage in illegal activities and contribute to the growth of this trade. Supply-side interventions to curb this threat to Neotropical wild cats may include improved training for officials and promotion of governance and the value of protecting these animals to local people.

Mercado Ilegal de Felinos Silvestres y su Conexión al Desarrollo Encabezado por China en América Central y América del Sur Resumen La incautación de cientos de cabezas y colmillos de jaguar en América Central y América del Sur entre 2014 y 2018 resultó en una cobertura mediática mundial que sugirió que los traficantes de fauna están comerciando con partes de jaguar como sustituto de las partes de tigre para satisfacer la demanda de la medicina tradicional asiática. Recopilamos un conjunto de datos de más de mil felinos silvestres incautados (jaguar [Panthera onca], puma [Puma concolor], ocelote [Leopardus pardalis]) en 19 países de América Central y América del Sur y en China. Corrimos modelos aditivos mixtos generalizados para detectar las tendencias en las incautaciones de felinos silvestres entre 2012 y 2018 y para evaluar los efectos de los factores socioeconómicos de los países de origen y entre esos países y China sobre el número de felinos silvestres incautados. La incautación de artículos de jaguar incrementó con el tiempo y la mayoría de ellos fueron colmillos (1991 de 2117). Alrededor del 34% (32 de 93) de los reportes de incautación estuvieron vinculados a China y estas incautaciones tenían 14 veces más individuos que las incautaciones de artículos dirigidos al mercado doméstico. Los países de origen con niveles relativamente altos de corrupción y con inversión privada proveniente de China y con un bajo ingreso per cápita tuvieron de 10 a 50 veces más incautaciones de artículos de jaguar que los demás países muestreados. El número de residentes chinos en América Central y en América del Sur no tuvo una relación significativa con el número de jaguares incautados. Ningún factor socioeconómico influyó sobre las incautaciones de pumas y ocelotes. Las cadenas de mercado legales pueden proporcionar una estructura para la cadena ilegal; por lo tanto, la afluencia de productos ilegales de jaguar es potencialmente un efecto colateral de la colaboración económica entre China y los países de América Central y América del Sur. La pobreza y los altos niveles de corrupción en los países de origen pueden motivar a los habitantes locales a participar en actividades ilegales y a contribuir al crecimiento de este mercado. Las intervenciones del lado del suministro para disminuir esta amenaza para los felinos silvestres neotropicales pueden incluir mejoras al entrenamiento para los oficiales y el fomento entre los locatarios de la gestión y el valor de proteger a estos animales.

Beneficial effect of extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate treatment on the Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) sperm quality after cryopreservation.

The Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) population, included in CITES Appendix I, has been declining for decades. Proper gamete preservation condition is critical for breeding programme management using artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization (IVF). The present study aimed at investigating the impact of post-thawing treatment of leopard semen with extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATPe) on sperm quality (including morphological traits and ability to fertilize an oocyte). Semen from six adult male leopards was collected by electroejaculation (one ejaculation per cat). After the evaluation of the fresh sample quality, the semen was cryopreserved (10 × 106 cells per straw; two straws per cat). After thawing, the sperm sample from the first straw of each cat was divided into three aliquots: control (no ATPe), supplemented with 1.0 or 2.5 mM ATPe that were evaluated for sperm quality at 10, 30 min and 3 hr post-thawing. The sperm sample from the second straw, supplemented with 0, 1.0 or 2.5 mM ATPe for 30 min, was assessed for IVF with domestic cat oocytes. Sperm quality (all metrics) was negatively affected by the cryopreservation process (p ≤ .05). However, the percentage of sperm motility, level of progressive motility and percentage of plasma membrane integrity did not differ (p > .05) among post-thawing groups. The sperm mitochondrial membrane potential was enhanced (p ≤ .05) by ATPe treatment (1.0 and 2.5 mM; 10 min to 3 hr of incubation). Furthermore, incubation of ATPe (1.0 and 2.5 mM) for 30 min could promote sperm velocity patterns (curvilinear velocity; VCL and straight line velocity; VSL) (p ≤ .05). The percentage of pronuclear formation and cleaved embryos was increased (p ≤ .05) after 1.0 ATPe treatment (49.8 ± 2.8; 45.9 ± 1.5) compared to 0 mM (41.4 ± 3.3; 38.9 ± 0.5) whereas the number of sperm binding/oocyte did not significantly differ among groups. In summary, we suggest that ATPe activated the velocity of Indochinese leopard sperm motility that may lead to faster sperm/oocyte binding and sperm penetration (factors of successful embryo development).

Under the Skin of a Lion: Unique Evidence of Upper Paleolithic Exploitation and Use of Cave Lion (Panthera spelaea) from the Lower Gallery of La Garma (Spain).

Pleistocene skinning and exploitation of carnivore furs have been previously inferred from archaeological evidence. Nevertheless, the evidence of skinning and fur processing tends to be weak and the interpretations are not strongly sustained by the archaeological record. In the present paper, we analyze unique evidence of patterned anthropic modification and skeletal representation of fossil remains of cave lion (Panthera spelaea) from the Lower Gallery of La Garma (Cantabria, Spain). This site is one of the few that provides Pleistocene examples of lion exploitation by humans. Our archaeozoological study suggests that lion-specialized pelt exploitation and use might have been related to ritual activities during the Middle Magdalenian period (ca. 14800 cal BC). Moreover, the specimens also represent the southernmost European and the latest evidence of cave lion exploitation in Iberia. Therefore, the study seeks to provide alternative explanations for lion extinction in Eurasia and argues for a role of hunting as a factor to take into account.

Short-term culture of ovarian cortex pieces to assess the cryopreservation outcome in wild felids for genome conservation.

BACKGROUND: Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue has the potential to preserve female germ cells of endangered mammals. In the present study, a freezing protocol successfully used for human tissue, was adapted for preserving ovarian tissue of domestic and non-domestic felids. Ovaries from non-domestic felid species were obtained from seven freshly euthanized and two recently deceased wild felids kept in different European Zoos. In addition, ovaries from domestic cats were obtained after ovariectomy from local veterinary clinics for methological adaptations.Ovarian cortex was dissected and uniform sized pieces of 2 mm diameter were obtained. Using a slow freezing protocol (-0.3°C per min) in 1.5 mol/L ethylene glycol, 0.1 mol/L sucrose, the pieces were cultured for up to 14 days both before and after cryopreservation. The integrity of primordial follicles was assessed by histology, and the impact of different protein sources (FCS or BSA) and Vitamin C was determined during two weeks of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: During culture the number of primordial follicles decreased within the ovarian pieces (p < 0.05). This effect was less pronounced when FCS was used as the protein source instead of BSA. Supplementation with Vitamin C had a detrimental effect on follicle survival. Since the procedure of cryopreservation had no effect on the follicle survival after one week of culture we conclude that the freezing protocol was suitable for felids. This is the first report of preserving a huge amount of follicles within ovarian tissue by slow freezing performed in several wild feline species.

Molecular detection and characterization of potentially new Babesia and Theileria species/variants in wild felids from Kenya.

Piroplasms frequently infect domestic and wild carnivores. At present, there is limited information on the occurrence and molecular identity of these tick-borne parasites in wild felids in Kenya. In 2009, a pair of captive lions (Panthare leo) was diagnosed with suspected babesiosis and mineral deficiency at an animal orphanage on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Blood smears indicated presences of haemoparasites in the erythrocytes, however, no further investigations were conducted to identify the infecting agent. The animals recovered completely following diet supplementation and treatment with anti-parasite drug. In this report, we extracted and detected parasite DNA from the two lions and seven other asymptomatic feline samples; two leopards (Panthera pardus) and five cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Reverse line blot with probes specific for Babesia spp. of felines indicated the presence of new Babesia species or genotypes in the lions and leopards, and unknown Theileria sp. in the cheetahs. Phylogenetic analyses using partial sequences of 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene showed that the parasite infecting the lions belong to the Babesia canis complex, and the parasite variant detected in the leopards clusters in a clade bearing other Babesia spp. reported in wild felids from Africa. The cheetah isolates falls in the Theileria sensu stricto group. Our findings indicate the occurrence of potentially new species or genotypes of piroplams in all three feline species.