Very sad news

I am so very sad about the death of Richard Mahler. Richard first contacted me out of the blue when his book, The Jaguar’s Shadow, was going to be released and asked if I’d like a copy since he had used some of my blog entries while writing. I eagerly agreed to a free book (librarian…) and over the years my wife and I spent time over coffee with Richard talking about jaguars, wildlife and life in general. We emailed regularly, usually about new jaguars or ocelots in Arizona, an article he was working on or his travels here and there. From Richard, I learned about the life of a professional writer and lived vicariously through his camera trap photos and was lucky enough to be introduced to Janay Brun. He was a gentle, kind soul with a devilish sense of humor and boundless love for the outdoors. I take some very small consolation in knowing that Richard died doing something he absolutely loved, no matter how trite and insignificant that might sound right now.

I will miss you, Ricardo. Thank you for being you and for the difference you made. Till we meet again, amigo…