This ecological novel examines the destruction of the jungle and the way imperialism and colonization impact indigenous cultures and pristine natural environments. The first demonstration of this theme occurs when the settlers use the river as a waste receptacle, but the theme gains momentum when it becomes clear that the hunters and settlers have no respect for the animals they hunt or the land they destroy for their own financial gain.

Nushiño’s death, for instance, is a direct result of the impact of “progress” in the form of road construction. The animals and humans are forced to move deeper into the jungle to survive such ravages, and Nushiño’s death marks the end of Antonio’s idyll life among the Shuar.

The storyline about the marauding ocelot highlights the consequences of the white man’s destruction of the environment. The disrespectful, even criminal way that hunters choose their targets, in this case by killing cubs, demonstrates their ignorance and ill-mannered nature. This exemplifies how each character embodies a facet of how colonization corrupts and destroys, forcing natives and the ecosystems they rely upon into extinction.