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Jaguars, secretive, strong animals, often elude view by humans. Despite that—or perhaps, partially because of it—this feline sits on a pedestal, worshipped by the Mayans, the Incas and many other groups. In his new book, The Jaguar’s Shadow: Searching for a Mythic Cat, journalist and author Richard Mahler explores the relationship between us and this cat.

In the January-February 2010 ���Ĵ�ý, available in a couple weeks, we review this 350-page adventure, in which Mahler also recounts his decade-long search for a glimpse of this keystone species that, as he puts it, locks together geographical ecosystems. “Take it away and imbalances ensue,” he writes. “Help it come back and those balances restore themselves.”

We’re pleased to have Mahler guest-blogging on The Perch, starting this Thursday, and finishing next week. Stay tuned for updates about Mahler’s search for the cat, the connection between jaguars and songbirds, activist scientists, and other key topics. Mahler has written or co-written 10 books about the environment, arts, travel, health and culture. He is based in New Mexico.