Belize fines Ruben Stoll $1,000 for handling wild jaguar cub in Mountain Pine Ridge

Ruben Stoll, a Belize‑American, was charged under Belize's Wildlife Protection Act and fined BZ$1,000 after a viral video showed him petting a jaguar cub that had been separated from its mother in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

Stoll voluntarily returned to Belize, surrendered to the Forest Department and accepted the charge. Forest Officer and Wildlife Manager Victoria Chi confirmed his cooperation and noted that the incident violated protections for wildlife. Belize Zoo Managing Director Dr. Celso Poot warned that handling wild jaguar cubs can cause stress and should never be allowed.

The case sparked public criticism over the safety of both the animals and the people involved, prompting the department to emphasize that approaching or disturbing protected wildlife is prohibited.