DISCOVERIES
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE JAGUAR
IN THE HEART OF THE AMAZONIAN FOREST
The morning curiosity of the desire to discover other horizons in good balance
with its geological and also ecological particularities is also an integral part of
the spirit of the pioneers who, for several centuries, mark out the 5 continents
of the world as I have seen in Costa Rica, French Guyana and in Brazil as part of
Jaguar preservation projects and studies.
Member of five
"Big Cats"
of the genus Panthera with the tiger, the lion, the snow panther and the leopard, the Jaguar
(Panthera Onca) is a carnivorous animal that found in a geographical area stretching from Mexico to the most of Cen-
tral America and South America up to northern Argentina and Paraguay. Lonely animal who hunts on the lookout,it is
also a superpredator who plays a important role in stabilizing ecosystems and the regulation of the populations that it
hunts in particular with its agility coupled with a exceptional power of bite with a very particular method of killing by
directly attacking first the skull of its prey giving a fatal blow to the brain to then cut it up.Stocky feline,rather short on
legs and very skilful to
climbing, exploration and swimming, the jaguar is also the only feline to have had a lasting im- pact on religion and culture of the American continent following the example of Pre-Columbian civilizations for which
the jaguar has long been a symbol of power and strength. Its well-defined living space is concentrated mainly in the
tropical forests of Central and South America in seasonally flooded areas because the presence of swamps, lakes and
mangroves is an important factor in its installation in a region.
A major predator of Central and South American fauna , populations of
jaguars have been declining for several years and according to the IUCN
(Union International for the Conservation of Nature) the animal is considered
as an endangered species in the medium and long term as explained to me
Eduardo CARILLO
Director of the International Institute For Wildlife Conser-
vation And Management of the National University of Heredia in the state of
Costa Rica in Central America."As early as 1973, reports and studies have
clarified the risk of vulnerability of the preservation of the Jaguar on the
American continent with, in particular, the finding of a drastic reduction in
the species present in the state of Costa Rica. My
interest for this fascinating
animal dates back to 1990 and since then we have been carrying out actions
of prevention supplemented by Jaguar preservation operations with the creation in 2007 of the Jaguar Protection Program Trust followed by 3 years
later from the Jaguar Foundation".
Eduardo CARRILLO.SAN JOSE COSTA RICA
Jaguar distribution map
Red: Historical Distribution
Green: Current Distribution
A desire to preserve the species
The consequent risks for the jaguar are mainly the deforestation of its living space, poaching, tropical cyclones and the
behavior of herders who kill the feline in order to protect their herds and these data have been taken into account in
the project"Paseo Del Jaguar" "Passage Of The Jaguar"
which is a system project interconnected network of sanctuaries
and conservation corridors spanning the United States, Mexico, Central America and as far as South America in parallel
with studies and conservation projects for the species also carried out by the France in the department of French Guya-
na. Another particularity that is interesting to specify is the development of ecotourism which is found mainly in Costa
Rica, Brazil and French Guyana with the creation of tourist activities integrating expeditions and circuits in areas inhabi-
ted by jaguars such as along the Approuague River in French Guiana or in the Brazilian Pantanal in Brazil where one can observe jaguars that run along the banks of rivers while catching their prey.In our world in perpetual movement where
environmental data are sometimes neglected or ignored despite recent awareness in addition to international agree-
ments, particularly on wildlife, it is reassuring to note that the pioneering spirit is also embellished with creativity with
bold and innovative projects here and there for the preservation of our environment which are only acts mixed with a
few touches of color in the fresco of our world but who have the merit of sharing with us their desire for progress.
Report: Gabriel PAGE.
Photos credit: Gabriel PAGE. Getty Images (Production in 2019)
