The Jaguar, Griffin Aroz

 Jaguar

Panthera Onca

By Griffin Aroz

The Jaguar. The largest cat of the Americas, once roaming from the southern US to Argentina, embody the beauty of the Felidae Family. As we begin to understand and appreciate the panthera onca, we must come to realize that their preservation and success in the wild is important because of their role as apex predator and top of the food chain.

The Jaguar had a major role in stories of the Native Americans. The name is derived from yaguar which means “to kill with one leap”; a suitable name for these incredible hunters. These beats are usually around 5-6 feet in length and weigh anywhere between 100-250 pounds. Their massive hind legs allow them to strike their prey with one motion rather than a chase, making them experts of stealth.

          

Ecology

Jaguars are known for their lingering around a water source. The rainforests of northern South America are home to these cats but they are also seen on seasonally flooded swamplands, grasslands, and woodlands. They prefer dense, well covered forests that provide cooler temperatures and remain at relatively low elevations. There have been different studies on population density which have concluded results anywhere from 1.7-8 adults per 100 km² depending on the location.

Geographic Range and Population

            Today, these hunters mostly populate the Amazon Basin of South America as well as Central America and parts of Mexico. Its extent of occurrence is approximately 8.75 million km² with 88% of that being in the Basin. Sadly, Jaguars now inhabit only around 46% of their historical range with their habitat decreasing yearly. They are now regionally extinct in Uruguay and El Salvador. Studied have concluded that around 70% of the population is considered to

high probability of survival. Surprisingly, the Amazon Basin is now thought to be a less suitable habitat compared to the Pantanal and Gran Chaco of Brazil. They also dwell in the moist lowland forests of Central America. How many of the species there are today is difficult to calculate but researchers have calculated that there are 200 +/- 80 in the Atlantic Forest Subpopulation. This unknown number however, is decreasing with an increase of threats to them as well as other species of the Amazon area.

IUCN Listing and Threats

            The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies the Panthera onca as near threatened. This listing was assessed June 30^th of 2008. Although they are still considered abundant, the rapid amount of deforestation leaves the future uncertain for the species. Through human intervention, they were removed from the Vulnerable list in 1996. Today, most of their habitat is in the Amazon Basin which has been concluded does not provide adequate resources compared to other areas. Other than national parks, deforestation for residential, commercial, and agricultural development reduces prime habitat locations for the cats. Population isolation has led to an increased vulnerability of the species to human destruction. They compete with humans for prey and are frequently shot by herders because they pose a risk to cattle, swine, and poultry. Their fur is also considered a luxury of high demand. Efforts to shut down the international markets for pelts by anti-fur campaigns and CITES have been successful, but there still remains a demand because of its rarity and beauty. Along with pelts, paws, teeth, and other products are also still demanded. Government regulations can only go so far for the people that illegally hunt these predators. The fascination to the jaguar comes in many forms.

Recovery Plan

            The Jaguar is nationally protected under all countries that comprise its habitat. Government organizations continue to work on shutting down black market trading, however the main cause of the decrease in populations are from habitat destruction. Various programs are working to maintain the habitat corridor from north to south to ensure populations do not become isolated and genetic diversity is maintained. Efforts to discourage herders from shooting these cats on sight have made slight progress but harsher government laws and improvements on land fencing will hopefully deteriorate the view of the wild cats as a pest species.

“What Can I Do?”

            As the species moves more towards vulnerability, countries must work together to preserve the essence of this apex predator of the western world. Individually, change is difficult but the mass amounts of donations to organizations as well as involvement in these local and national organizations has led to great progress being made on reversing the damage done to the Jaguar as well as other species prone to human persecution. These organizations include   

• ·      http://www.iucnredlist.org (IUCN Red List of Endangered Species)
• ·       http://www.wno.org (World Nature Organization)
• ·      https://www.cites.org (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species)

Together, we can make sure that future generations are blessed to see the beauty of nature around them, especially the Americas’ apex predator, the Jaguar.

Citations

Caso, A., Lopez-Gonzalez, C., Payan, E., Eizirik, E., de Oliveira, T., Leite-Pitman, R., Kelly, M. &

 Valderrama, C. 2008. Panthera onca. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008:

 e.T15953A5327466. Downloaded on 02 December 2016.

National Geographic. "Jaguar." National Geographic. N.p., 28 Nov. 2016. Web. Downloaded on

 01 December 2016.

Ritz, Leo. "Jaguar A Big Cat 623087." Borongaja. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.