Every November 29, a day is commemorated that seeks to make visible the danger of extinction faced by the Jaguar in America, also called “Yaguareté” in Argentina.
Several countries develop and adopt various strategies to conserve and guarantee the permanence of this emblematic species in ecosystems.
The historical distribution of the jaguar covered a vast territory from Mexico and the southwestern United States to Argentina. However, reports indicate that the feline has lost more than half of its original range since the end of the 19th century. Currently, the jaguar persists in smaller numbers, mainly in the Amazon basin – one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, the Pantanal and fragments of jungle in other areas of South America, such as the missionary jungle of which the Iguazú National Park is part, which houses the imposing Iguazú Falls, another of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in the world. And recently there were also sightings of Jaguars in Mexico, in the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá – one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The jaguar (panthera onca) is the largest feline in the American continent and the third in the world, after the tiger and the lion. It is considered an indicator species of environmental health, due to its key role in the maintenance of natural systems that provide essential ecosystem services for nature and people. Therefore, it is called an “um Umbrella” species: its conservation and that of its habitat indirectly protects other species of flora and fauna. In addition, as the main predator of the mountain, the jaguar regulates populations of other vertebrates, especially large herbivores, contributing to the ecological balance. In America, from northern Mexico to Argentina, the jaguar population decreased between 20% and 25% in the last three generations, and their historical distribution was reduced by more than 50%, placing the species as “Almost threatened” at the continental level (IUCN).
It is believed that about 90% of the world’s population of jaguars is in the Amazon, being one of the largest subpopulations and, at the moment, the only one not considered at risk due to its size.
In Argentina
Currently it is estimated that in Argentina there are about 250 jaguars left, distributed in the yungas (Salta and Jujuy), the Misionera Jungle and the Gran Chaco region (Chaco, Formosa and Santiago del Estero). In the Missionary Jungle, an Argentine portion of the Atlantic Forest, it is estimated that there is a population of less than 90 jaguars.
In the Gran Chaco, it is estimated that less than 20 individuals remain distributed among the provinces of Chaco, Formosa, Salta and Santiago del Estero. The population density is very low, and many populations are fragmented, which increases the risk of local extinction. The main threats that affect the jaguar are deforestation, habitat loss, hunting (of the jaguar and its prey) and run-over on routes. The jaguar is one of the most powerful symbols of Argentine national biodiversity, so it was declared a National Natural Monument, according to Law 25.463/01.
In Mexico
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) recently released a video captured in the municipality of Tinum-Yucatan, by a camera trap that shows two jaguars wandering near the archaeological zone of Chichen Itzá – one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The figure of the jaguar has a prominent presence in the art and architecture of Chichen Itza, being considered a symbol of power and life in the underworld according to the Mayan worldview. Its appearance in this area underlines the close connection of the animal with the traditions and beliefs of Mesoamerica.
Of the 36 species of felines that exist in the world, 18 live in the jungles of America and six of them in Mexico, supposedly in five regions of the country. In 1900, a population of 100,000 jaguars was estimated, a figure that has decreased drastically over time. But despite these threats, records such as that of Chichen Itzá contribute to the conservation efforts of this species and its environment.