Under the cover of night, a nesting sea turtle meets one of nature’s most formidable hunters. In the mangroves of Costa Rica, a jaguar’s powerful bite turns a single meal into a feast that sustains an entire forest.
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On the beach, the first female turtle puts the final touches on her nest.
(waves crashing) Her eggs are now hidden, but she is still very much exposed.
(waves crashing) (jaguar softly growling) (waves crashing) No stalking, no pouncing, just a quick and easy bite to the back of the head.
(jaguar softly growling) Back in the mangroves, Alonzo settles down to his meal.
(turtle shell cracking) His powerful jaws make quick work of the turtle's hard shell.
The jaguar has the most powerful bite of any big cat.
His jaws work just as well on the shell as they do on other animals' skulls.
(turtle shell cracking) His tongue isn't just for tasting.
It's lined with back-facing barbs that may aid with stripping flesh from bone.
The turtle will feed Alonzo for two days.
For now, he has eaten his fill, but he's not the only one dining tonight.
As he takes a break, hungry scavengers move in from the shadows.
The scent penetrates the forest.
A resourceful opossum is in luck.
He's so taken by his windfall, he fails to notice that someone has come back for seconds.
(turtle shell cracking) The jaguar's leftovers will nourish a whole forest community.