Field Journal Entry - July 7, 1997 5 AM: 

I've been up all night tracking him across the wet flatwoods and hardwood swamps of the east side of the greater Mallory Swamp. This vast region of pines and swamps is considered sheer wilderness because of its vastness and it's no wonder why it was a haven for Civil War soldiers that had abandoned their posts; for who would even dare to enter into the coils of a dragon except those that are most desperate.

Twenty-four hours with no sleep, my eyes are straining to stay open. The beeps of Akbal's radio-collar emanating from the speaker of my tracking receiver contrast harmoniously with the pre-dawn calls of the whipper whirls. A light ground fog caresses the windows of my Jeep Cherokee 4x4. I look out the window and see the sparkling morning stars as they command the heavens in this amphitheater of life. There is no city glow on the horizon, nor another human soul for miles around. There only exists the night calls of creatures whose secretive lives are as mysterious as the outer reaches of the universe. The scene is most surreal and yet, medieval. I suppose the only reason I'm not falling asleep is because I want to meld with the forest, these living creations of God's handiwork, and most immediately, the austere and majestic object of my focus - Ahau Akbal.

Ahau Akbal has proven himself a capable animal. His home range is huge compared to most other bobcats in my study and his daily travels are far-ranging. At times, I can hardly keep up with his robust wanderings as I track him day and night. Beyond that, he is in fact, a most supreme predator-fighter. The day he was captured rendered up that fact as he nearly killed one of the cat hounds whose master I had employed in service as a means to capture a number of these Florida 'tigers'. Brave hearts in the purest sense, these souls forge into the unknown with no guarantee as to their future. Often run into the ground by both the forces of nature and man, they do not exploit another for a petty profit nor claim to fame. Yet, they move ahead and do only what is necessary to survive. Oh, how such heroes act out on the stage of life the drama that modern men seldom know!

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