A leaping jaguar missed is caiman catch despite diving on top of it from a four-metre-tall tree.

Branco Arruda was leading a tour through Porto Jofre, Brazil, in August when he spotted the Pantanal’s premier predator lurking on a branch.

Dramatic footage captured the moment the stalking jaguar finished sizing up its prey and launched itself through the air on to its target.

Sending a massive splash off the surface, the jaguar had missed its target and ended up swimming back to the riverbank empty handed.

Branco said: “I was very excited to have seen such an amazing sight. It makes me extremely happy to share moments like this with the tourists on board.

“We had been floating down the river looking for jaguars to watch when I spotted this one high in the tree.

“We waited for 40 minutes while it scouted the caiman in the water, just waiting for the right moment to pounce.

“Then all of a sudden it leapt off the branch and on top of its prey, but unfortunately this time it was unsuccessful.

“I have been working as a boat driver in the Pantanal region for 15 years and I never get bored of watching these incredible animals in action.”