I had just finished my military service in the Israel Defense Forces, when I took off to explore the world far away from home. With nothing more than a backpack and a dream, I traveled South America by foot, finally settling at a wildlife refuge nestled in the Bolivian Amazon. I spent several months as the caretaker of a 3-year-old female jaguar named Katie. Katie chose to test my confidence the first time I walked into her compound. Her stunning, perfectly tailored camouflage, a product of half-a-million years of evolution, made her blend perfectly with the lush vegetation around me; I had no idea how closely she was stalking me until I felt the full impact of 200 pounds of pure muscle against my body.