Saving jaguars in Belize

Posted on January 7, 2020 by petrel41

This July 2017 video is called A Jaguar Family in Belize.

From the University of Bristol in England:

Protecting two key regions in Belize could save threatened jaguar, say scientists

January 6, 2020

Scientists studying one of the largest populations of jaguars in Central Belize have identified several wildlife corridors that should be protected to help the species survival. The study, led by the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Bristol and published in BMC Genetics, provide a new insight into where conservation efforts should be concentrated.

Jaguars are top predators inhabiting large areas of Belize’s tropical forests and have a vast range spanning thousands of square miles. However, high deforestation rates for large-scale agricultural development and a constantly changing landscape mean jaguars are under increased threat and now listed as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN red list of threatened species.

Dr Angelica Menchaca, the study’s lead researcher who led the study while a PhD student at Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, said: “Jaguars don’t stay in one place and can move long distances often through unprotected areas between reserves. Areas in between national parks with human activity may put jaguars at risk from retaliatory killing, conflict with cattle ranchers and limit connectivity between reserves.”

In order to improve conservation and management issues, the team monitored genetic population structure and predicted jaguars’ movement corridors to understand how they relate to each other, and how feasible it is to maintain connectivity between reserves.

Dr Menchaca and colleagues analysed samples of jaguar faeces collected over eight years of fieldwork in central Belize, a region which is of great importance for jaguar connectivity as it forms a bridge between the Selva Maya extending to Guatemala in the south, and Mexico in the north.

The team identified 50 different jaguars and observed high levels of gene flow within animals identified in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and the Maya Forest Corridor, making these two areas critical for conservation efforts. These areas are currently separated by Hummingbird highway but can potentially be connected through wildlife corridors and the expansion of natural protected areas.

Dr Menchaca added: “Our findings provide a screenshot of genetic patterns of animals inhabiting the area between 2003-2011 and provide important insight into the best routes for the jaguars to take across two key areas in Central Belize. If we are to help this threatened species, then our conservation efforts must expand protected areas to ensure the maintenance of this threatened species across its range.”

The study was funded by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).

Jaguars in Latin America

Posted on January 1, 2020 by petrel41

This 27 September 2019 video says about itself:

The jaguar is the most feared predator in Latin America. This is the giant-slayer of the jungle.

Get ready to meet the most elusive predators in the world. These are no house cats.

Jaguars mating in Brazil

Posted on August 23, 2017 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

Jaguar Mating In Brazil – BBC Earth

23 August 2017

Thought to be solitary big cats, this footage shows jaguars mating and staying together for several weeks.

Efforts to rein in agriculture activities in the Amazon have led to an 80 percent reduction in rainforest destruction between the early 2000s to 2015. Yet in this month’s Journal of Geographic Sciences Michigan State University (MSU) researchers show that farming and ranching have caused 6.6 times more destruction of natural vegetation in the nearby Tocantins State of the Cerrado in central Brazil, without a corresponding uprising of concern. “We are not saying reducing rainforest destruction in the Amazon shouldn’t get attention,” said Yue Dou, a research associate in MSU’s Centers for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS). “But attention has to be paid in the major destruction of another area which also has significant biodiversity”: here.

The Cerrado once connected the Andes with the Atlantic Rainforest. A genetic and computational analysis of birds suggests that the Andean and Atlantic tropical forests, which are now almost a thousand kilometers apart, were connected via the Cerrado in the distant past: here.

The lesser-known Cerrado biome in Brazil is a hotspot of biodiversity, but it is being destroyed at an alarming rate by unsustainable agricultural activities. A study calls attention to this forgotten region and urges the international community to support measures for its protection: here.

To track secretive jaguars in the forested mountains of Belize, biologists turned to geology and feces analysis. Researchers discovered that jaguar scat reveals where the big cats were hunting in the mountains of Belize. It’s a powerful technique for wildlife conservation: here.

Bringing jaguars back to Argentina

Posted on December 14, 2016 by petrel41

This video is about reintroducing jaguars to the Iberá region in Argentina.

More about it, in Spanish, is here.

Only wild jaguar in the USA, video

Posted on February 5, 2016 by petrel41

This video from the USA says about itself:

3 February 2016

The first publicly released video of the only known wild jaguar in the United States shows the giant cat roaming around a creek and other parts of a mountain range in southern Arizona.

Will this jaguar ever find a mate? The US-Mexican border wall started by George W Bush which damages wildlife will make that problematic. One should hope Donald Trump’s plan for a still bigger wall will never become reality.

Save jaguars in Mexico

Posted on April 26, 2015 by petrel41

This 2014 video is called The jaguar [full documentary].

From Wildlife Extra:

Mexico signs historic agreement to protect jaguars

The Mexican government has signed an historic agreemant with global wild cat conservation organisation, Panthera, to work towards the protection of jaguars.

Senator Gabriela Cuevas, President of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Mexican Senate, led a group of senators in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Panthera’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Alan Rabinowitz.

Panthera will work with the Senate, academia, and non-governmental organisations in Mexico to raise awareness of the importance of conserving jaguars in the country and assist in the implementation of science-based conservation actions.

The jaguar is an historic icon in Mexico, but their range throughout the country has been reduced in recent years by over 50% leaving them in danger of extinction through habitat destruction, which has led to a decline in their prey. They have also been victims of poaching.

The Mexican government will formulate an official recovery plan for jaguars and Panthera will develop a plan to work alongside existing jaguar conservation activities in the country, and to implement similar measures as those that are currently employed in 13 other Latin American countries which are part of Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative (JCI).

At the signing, Senator Cuevas said: “The jaguar is a symbol of the culture and history of Mexico. It is the most representative American feline and is emblematic of biodiversity and conservation of species.

“Rarely are such diverse causes intertwined with so many issues, ranging from foreign affairs and protection of the environment, to climate change, education and agriculture.”

Alan Rabinowitz said: “We are thrilled to join forces with the Senate and to contribute to the protection and conservation of the jaguar and the corridors between their populations in Mexico.

“Mexico is the northern border for the distribution of jaguars and maintaining connectivity between populations of jaguars is vital for the survival of the jaguar and the biodiversity that lives within these areas.

“We hope to collaborate with Mexican biologists, legislators, academics, government agencies, and non-governmental organisations dedicated to conservation, and to complement and enhance their efforts to promote the protection of this majestic feline.”

Jaguars currently inhabit 18 countries in Latin America, from Mexico through Central and South America to Argentina, and occasionally in the United States.

Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative (JCI) comprises nearly six million square kilometers through a mosaic of environments within these countries.

The JCI seeks to connect and protect jaguar populations, especially those that live and move through landscapes dominated by humans, helping to maintain genetic diversity and thus increase the long-term survival of this species.

Panthera researchers are exploring possibilities to establish a long-term study in the states of Guerrero, Michoacan and Colima, in order to have a more precise understanding of the distribution of jaguars and their prey. Mexico’s signing represents Panthera’s eighth jaguar conservation agreement with Latin American countries.

Protecting endangered jaguars in Nicaragua

Posted on January 4, 2015 by petrel41

This video is called THE JAGUAR: YEAR OF THE CAT.

From Wildlife Extra:

New protection for endangered jaguars in Nicaragua

The jaguar, American continent’s largest wild cat, has been awarded new protection with the recent signing of a conservation agreement between the government of Nicaragua and Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organisation.

The Nicaraguan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Panthera’s CEO, Dr Alan Rabinowitz.

Through this agreement, both parties have committed to undertake conservation initiatives to identify jaguar distribution and travel corridors in Nicaragua, allowing for the connection and protection of the species and its habitats.

Panthera and MARENA additionally pledged to implement initiatives focused on the mitigation of human-jaguar conflict and support of agricultural and other land developments that are both ecologically sustainable and economically profitable for Nicaragua.

Dr Rabinowitz says: “The establishment of this agreement with the government of Nicaragua is a huge step for the long-term survival of the jaguar. Nicaragua represents a critical home for the jaguar, and a stepping-stone in the Mesoamerican Jaguar Corridor.

“Panthera will work together with the Nicaraguan government to strengthen efforts that conserve the nation’s wild habitats and provide opportunities for the safe passage of jaguars and other wildlife through the Nicaraguan landscape.

“With this signing, Nicaragua becomes the seventh jaguar range country to commit to the conservation of this iconic species, helping to forge a future for the jaguar, its habitats, and the other species that inhabit the forests with this magnificent cat.”

According to Panthera, Nicaragua serves as a vital home and conduit connecting jaguar populations to the north in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, to all jaguar populations south of the country.

The Atlantic region of the country, inhabited by many indigenous communities, is the only existing passageway for jaguars to move south through Nicaragua to Costa Rica, and beyond.

Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative, launched in 2008, spans nearly six million square kilometers and seeks to connect and protect jaguar populations within human landscapes from Mexico to Argentina to ensure the species’ genetic diversity and survival.

Panthera’s jaguar conservation efforts in Nicaragua so far have focused on verifying jaguar presence in the country, from Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in the north, to Indio Maiz Biosphere Reserve in the south.

Results from these surveys will allow for a clearer understanding of the status of jaguar populations and connectivity in Nicaragua, as well as on the overall connectivity of jaguars in Central America.

The Vice-Minister Ing. Roberto Araquistáin Cisneros adds: “I applaud the hard and efficient field and scientific work that Panthera has done in the country over the past six years. Many of its studies and mapping are being used by this ministry.”

In recent years, Nicaragua has effectively protected extensive swaths of its forests that are home to the jaguar and other wildlife.

As the country continues to develop, additional considerations will have to be made to allow for jaguar passage through agricultural landscapes and infrastructure development.

Good jaguar news from Belize

Posted on February 27, 2014 by petrel41

This video is called THE JAGUAR: YEAR OF THE CAT – Animals/Wildlife/Nature (documentary).

From Wildlife Extra:

Jaguar gains new protection in Belize

February 2014: The future of the jaguar in Belize is looking brighter following the signing of a conservation agreement between the Government of Belize, the Environmental Research Institute of the University of Belize and the wild cat conservation organisation Panthera.

The trio agreed to work together to implement science-based conservation initiatives that secure and connect jaguars and their habitats in Belize and beyond, facilitate land development that is both ecologically sustainable and economically profitable, and lesson human-jaguar conflict throughout the country.

The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Its decreasing population is primarily due to deforestation rates, human persecution and human-jaguar conflict, and [it] is considered Near Threatened by the IUCN who now estimates it occupies just 46 per cent of its historic range.

Situated on the southern tip of Mexico and eastern border of Guatemala, Belize serves as an integral link connecting jaguars within these countries and all jaguar populations south of Belize.

Panthera CEO and jaguar scientist, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, explained, “The signing of this historic agreement epitomizes conservation action & partnerships coming full circle.. This MOU now represents Panthera’s sixth jaguar conservation agreement with a Latin American government, and our team will continue to work, country by country, to build partnerships with all nations home to the jaguar, connecting and protecting the entire 18 nation mosaic that is the jaguar’s range.”

Jaguar and ocelot in Arizona, USA

Posted on December 29, 2012 by petrel41

This video shows a jaguar swimming in water at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA, USA.

From Wildlife Extra:

Jaguar and ocelot photographed in southern Arizona

Jaguar seen previously in different mountain range

December 2012. An adult male jaguar and an adult male ocelot have been photographed in two separate southern Arizona mountain ranges by automated wildlife monitoring cameras. The images were collected as part of the Jaguar Survey and Monitoring Project led by the University of Arizona. Both animals appear to be in good health.

Jaguar photographed in 2011 & 2012 in different locations

In late November 2012, the UA project team downloaded photos from wildlife cameras set up as part of the research project and found new pictures of a jaguar in the Santa Rita Mountains. A total of ten jaguar photos were taken by three UA cameras and one Arizona Game and Fish Department camera. The cat’s unique spot pattern matched that of a male jaguar in the Whetstone Mountains photographed by a hunter in the fall of 2011, providing clear evidence that the big cats travel between southern Arizona’s “sky island” mountain ranges.

A September 2012 jaguar “tail” photo was previously reported by the Arizona Game and Fish Department from a hunter’s automated wildlife monitoring camera in the Santa Rita Mountains. None of the UA photos can be matched to this “tail” photo because, in the new photos, the tail is obscured or the opposite side of the jaguar was photographed. However, the jaguar is most likely the same individual.

Ocelot

In addition, a new ocelot photo was taken in the Huachuca Mountains west of Sierra Vista by one of the UA project cameras. Again, comparisons of the spot patterns revealed this to be the same male ocelot that has been reported by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and photographed in the Huachucas several times in 2011 and 2012. However, the UA photo was taken about 4 miles away from the previous photos, demonstrating that even the smaller cats move across the rugged Arizona landscape.

The purpose of the UA research project is to establish a non-invasive, hands-off system for detecting and monitoring jaguars and ocelots. The project is using motion-sensor-activated “trail” cameras placed in areas most likely to detect the spotted cats. Once fully operational, up to 240 paired cameras will be in place throughout the project area to capture images of both sides of detected animals.

Mexican jaguars

The University of Arizona is conducting this large-scale project to detect and monitor jaguars and ocelots along the northern boundary of the U.S.-Mexico international border, from the Baboquivari Mountains in Arizona to the south-western “boot heel” of New Mexico.

Dog search

The researchers are also employing a specially-trained scat detection dog to assist the team in collecting potential jaguar and ocelot scat in the areas where a jaguar or ocelot has been detected by camera. The UA Conservation Genetics lab under the leadership of Melanie Culver, U.S. Geological Survey geneticist in the UA School of Natural Resources and the Environment, will conduct genetic testing of the scat to verify species and possibly identify the individual cats.

The three-year study will be accomplished under a contract with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose of these funds is to address and mitigate environmental impacts of border-related enforcement activities.

The ocelot has been protected in the U.S. as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1982. The jaguar was listed in the U.S. in 1997.

Jaguar Threatens Open-pit Mine Plan in Southern Arizona: here.

July 2013. A significant victory has been achieved for the future of jaguars with the establishment of an historic conservation agreement by the government of Panama and Panthera, a global big cat conservation organization: here.

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 93 – The Jaguar: here.

Jaguars in Argentine Chaco on verge of local extinction: here.

USA: Federal wildlife officials Tuesday set aside nearly 1,200 square miles along the U.S.-Mexico border as habitat essential for the conservation of the jaguar, a species that hasn’t been spotted in New Mexico in eight years and one that has made only fleeting appearances on wildlife cameras in Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains: here.

UA, government agencies release 4 photos of jaguar in Santa Ritas (azstarnet.com)
New photos of jaguar taken SE of Tucson released by feds (azstarnet.com)
Rare Ocelot Sighting In Huachuca Mountains (lasvegas.cbslocal.com)
Two rare spotted cats photographed in southern Ariz (lonestarcats.wordpress.com)
New photos show entire jaguar (azstarnet.com)
Tracking the American Jaguar! Viva, Viva Macho B (earthfirstnews.wordpress.com)
Nature Report: Phantom Cat Revealed (valleycentral.com)
Keep It Free! (revivehope.wordpress.com)
Rare jaguar roams Southern Arizona mountains (sott.net)

Jaguar, cougar video from Paraguay

Posted on July 27, 2012 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

This compilation of camera trap video clips was put together by José Luis Cartes (Pepe) — Director of Programmes at Guyra Paraguay, one of WLT’s partners. The camera traps are set along the paths around their Three Giants Biological Station in the Paraguayan Chaco-Pantanal and were taken in May and June 2012. The station is named after the ‘The 3 Giants’: Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) and Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus) that can be found in the area.

Translation: “Puma and baby, ocelot, then jaguar, puma again, another puma and baby –the same ones?, ocelot watching, the king of the forest, the jaguar.”

You can read our story about the jaguar that became a regular visitor to this reserve on our website.

August 2012. The largest wild cat in the Americas, the elusive and iconic jaguar, has received a historic seal of protection with the official recognition of Costa Rica’s Jaguar Corridor and the establishment of the country’s first official jaguar conservation strategy: here.