WildFact
›
Premier Section
›
Edge of Extinction
ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - C - THE JAGUAR (Panthera onca)
ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - C - THE JAGUAR (Panthera onca)
|
ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - C - THE JAGUAR (Panthera onca)
|
Victims of Amazon fires include 500 jaguars
A conservation charity has estimated that at least 500 jaguars are left homeless or deceased due to the devastating wildfires. The wild cat conservation charity Pantherahave revised their estimates on the impact of the recent fires in the Amazon rainforest on the jaguar population. The initial estimate by the charity had been 100 in Brazil alone, but this number has now been revised to 500 homeless or dead jaguars in Brazil and Bolivia. According to Panthera South America Regional Director, Dr. Esteban Payan “until the rains come, this number is likely to increase”. The new estimate is based on knowledge of the extent of burning combined with a jaguar density estimate of 2.5 jaguars per 100km2. These devastating fires, which have seen a dramatic increase across 2019 compared to previous years, are thought to be due mainly to human activity. This happens as the forest is deliberately cleared to make way for farming. The trees are cut down, left to dry, and are then set fire to. This is known as ‘slash-and-burn’ farming and is sometimes done legally but is often illegal. The problem is exacerbated by drought, as without sufficient rainfall the fires are allowed to spread rapidly. A critical wild cat habitat the Brazilian Pantanal, part of the world’s largest tropical wetland area (the Amazon Pantanal), is home to the world’s highest density of Jaguars. Unfortunately, The Amazon Pantanal is one of the areas greatly affected by recent fires, with at least 39,000 hectares being lost in just the small Paraguayan portion of the important habitat. The speed with which these fires are spreading means that there is not much time to plan detailed conservation efforts. The jaguar has now lost nearly 40 per cent of its range, in part due to the combined effects of fires and deforestation. Those that survive the fires face the additional challenge of loss of prey, especially that which is slow-moving, nocturnal, and less adept at escape than they themselves are, and also those that are over-hunted by people. The solitary cat species also face the additional danger of increased interactions and conflict with other jaguars. In addition to these threats the jaguar faces direct killing, both by farmers in retaliation for loss of their livestock, and those who wish to poach them for the illegal wildlife trade, their pelts and body parts being all the more valuable as tiger and lion populations fall. It is not just jaguars that are at risk however. The Amazon as a whole has a very high density of wild cat species of many kinds. Bolivia alone is home to eight cat species, including puma, ocelot, margay and jaguarundi. In addition to cats the Amazon is home to ten per cent of all the known species on earth and is the richest region in the world in biodiversity. All these species could be affected if burning continues at the current rate. This makes tackling the causes of the fires all the more important. Moreover, burning and loss of the Amazon could have far-reaching effects on our climate. Known as ‘the lungs of the earth’, the Amazon plays a vital role in storing carbon, releasing oxygen, and absorbing heat. “The shock waves of these exceptionally large and, for the most part, human-lit fires are being felt not only by the wildlife and people of Brazil and Bolivia, but also those in Peru and Paraguay,” states Dr. Howard Quigley, Jaguar Program and Conservation Science Executive Director. “These fires stand to directly impact the continent, and in the end, the health of the planet as they hurt one of the cradles of biodiversity and greatest counter forces against global warming.” https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/amazon-fires-jaguars/ 
Jaguars from los Llanos.
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
(09-25-2019, 08:00 PM)Sully Wrote: Victims of Amazon fires include 500 jaguars Thankfully, the fires seem to be dropping, now that summer is over (though my country has yet to witness a significant decrease in temperature): https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the...story.html
Where Trump's wall, which theoretically threatens to halt the passing of jaguars between northern Mexico and southern USA, now stands, besides the President himself (unless the impeachment proceedings against him do work, but that's another story): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49805982
 *This image is copyright of its original author
(10-07-2019, 09:02 PM)BorneanTiger Wrote: Where Trump's wall, which theoretically threatens to halt the passing of jaguars between northern Mexico and southern USA, now stands, besides the President himself (unless the impeachment proceedings against him do work, but that's another story): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49805982 I heard the biggest problem is actually cattle ranchers in Mexico. The Trump Wall is just going to end jaguars in the USA, but it won't affect any damage to jaguars in northern Mexico. However, Mexican government allowing ranchers to shoot jaguars if they attack livestock. This problem will never going to mention by journalists since the Trump Wall is definitely the most hot topic. The Trump Wall is mainly about Latino refugees from the Central America and Mexico by journalists along with animals of the Arizona. (09-25-2018, 03:41 AM)epaiva Wrote: Jaguars fighting in El Pantanal, Brazil I always want to see one against one match on jaguars and lions. I only saw few video on jaguar fighting, but it is just short fight. I always see lions are fighting against group instead fighting one against one. Those jaguars are fighting like teenage girls.  Just swing their paws.
 (10-07-2019, 09:02 PM)BorneanTiger Wrote: Where Trump's wall, which theoretically threatens to halt the passing of jaguars between northern Mexico and southern USA, now stands, besides the President himself (unless the impeachment proceedings against him do work, but that's another story): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49805982 Can't they just keep small gaps in the wall along wildlife corridors with manned watch-towers on both sides? That'd be enough. This is a real photo of US-Mexico border.  *This image is copyright of its original author Arizona has some decent protected areas near the border. Other than that they could artificially introduce jaguars to Big Bend complex on both sides... But neither party seems to have any interest in that. (10-11-2019, 01:04 AM)lionjaguar Wrote: I heard the biggest problem is actually cattle ranchers in Mexico. The Trump Wall is just going to end jaguars in the USA, but it won't affect any damage to jaguars in northern Mexico. However, Mexican government allowing ranchers to shoot jaguars if they attack livestock. This problem will never going to mention by journalists since the Trump Wall is definitely the most hot topic. The Trump Wall is mainly about Latino refugees from the Central America and Mexico by journalists along with animals of the Arizona. US media can be expected to cover their issues much more extensively. But i do think this Jaguar-corridor problem is very easily solvable, if they actually want to. (12-16-2017, 07:01 PM)epaiva Wrote: Jaguars in los Llanos de Venezuela are big with larger males weighting over 100 kgs, only Jaguars from Pantanal in Brazil grow larger. First picture showing the powerful dentition of big male and second picture of huge male hunted in 1959 in El Rosero, Estado Apure, it weighted 148 kgs. Jaguars living in the Pantanal are bigger than ones in the Llanos? According to Sunquist, jaguars living in the Venezuelan Llanos are bigger than Brazilian Pantanal.  *This image is copyright of its original author
(06-10-2018, 02:45 AM)epaiva Wrote: @peter That's fascinating. Are they living like lions? I heard a story about two old male jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal combine forces to defend their territories against younger males. I read jaguars are less territorial against other jaguars are intruding their territory unless they invade the core area. That's probably why jaguars are doing better than most other big cats despite they are not adaptable compared to cougar.
Once again it shows how little we know of the social lives of cats. Peter outlined examples of tigers and pumas in another post and this is just another example to add. Also this may have important implications for the theory as to why lions are social, dismissing the open area factor and emphasising that of ideal habitat around water sources which is what I believe Packer theorised essentially. But in reality as well all know it's mostly never that black and white, with the real answer laying somewhere in the grey area.
 (10-12-2019, 12:38 AM)lionjaguar Wrote:(12-16-2017, 07:01 PM)epaiva Wrote: Jaguars in los Llanos de Venezuela are big with larger males weighting over 100 kgs, only Jaguars from Pantanal in Brazil grow larger. First picture showing the powerful dentition of big male and second picture of huge male hunted in 1959 in El Rosero, Estado Apure, it weighted 148 kgs. Yes, the pantanal has the largest Jags on earth. Los Llanos has similarly sized males but in less numbers while females seem grow a bit larger in the Pantanal. The main reason is Caiman, since their numbers increased so did Jagauars and their size as well. You have quite a few 130kg plus Jaguars in both the north and south pantanal and 148kg empty as well. Even in Almeidas book which is where a lot of those weights came from, he mentions a jaguar of 130kg empty he estimated and a couple of 21"+ scoring skulls as well. (10-12-2019, 12:41 AM)lionjaguar Wrote:Not sure about the 2 older ones but as of now you have 2 brothers who are still patrolling and hunting together but they're still young *3 ish* so they may not stay together much longer.(06-10-2018, 02:45 AM)epaiva Wrote: @peter Jaguars are extremely aggressive to one another but not so much territorial since the Pantanal has constantly changing landscapes. When you see sandbars or trees where Jaguars hunt one year, those exact same spots may be washed away the next year once the floods come and go. An example of how hard it is for Jags to grow up in the pantanal is that you will rarely see cubs there, there's too many huge males and they kill them off, you also rarely see young Jags who were born there come back, most Jaguars who come to the meeting of the 2 rivers arent known to the guides and it's usually huge dominate males. It's like they know that when they come back to these prestine hunting grounds they must be the best of the best. (10-12-2019, 01:34 AM)Pckts Wrote:(10-12-2019, 12:38 AM)lionjaguar Wrote:(12-16-2017, 07:01 PM)epaiva Wrote: Jaguars in los Llanos de Venezuela are big with larger males weighting over 100 kgs, only Jaguars from Pantanal in Brazil grow larger. First picture showing the powerful dentition of big male and second picture of huge male hunted in 1959 in El Rosero, Estado Apure, it weighted 148 kgs. There are a lot of caiman in Los Llanos too. Jaguars in Llanos probably became smaller due to hunting in the mid-1900s. (10-12-2019, 01:40 AM)Pckts Wrote:(10-12-2019, 12:41 AM)lionjaguar Wrote:Not sure about the 2 older ones but as of now you have 2 brothers who are still patrolling and hunting together but they're still young *3 ish* so they may not stay together much longer.(06-10-2018, 02:45 AM)epaiva Wrote: @peter I really don't know if jaguars are extremely aggressive. Pantanal probably has dense jaguar population, and that's probably why jaguars are territorial then. I heard it from other guide that jaguars are not aggressive compared to how Mapogo lions are killing others for territory. It would be different if prey is low in their habitats. I have never heard male jaguars are killing rival male's cubs. Is there any source to prove it? (10-12-2019, 02:09 AM)lionjaguar Wrote:(10-12-2019, 01:40 AM)Pckts Wrote:(10-12-2019, 12:41 AM)lionjaguar Wrote:Not sure about the 2 older ones but as of now you have 2 brothers who are still patrolling and hunting together but they're still young *3 ish* so they may not stay together much longer.(06-10-2018, 02:45 AM)epaiva Wrote: @peter You're asking 2 different questions... Are they as aggressive as one of the most infamous lion coalitions in modern history? No, probably not Are they extremely aggressive to one another? Yes, absolutely and I can give you example after example of them doing so. Again, the pantanal isn't your normal open plains setting, you cannot view them easily, floods come and wash away everything, in fact, most of the terrain may look like there is tall grass with dry land beneath it but really it's just water everywhere. You drive past in the boat and all the tall grass which you thought was land just rocks with the wakes of the water, it's very cool to see. So that being said, you dont have a chance to view what happens to these cats for most of the year. But there is a reason why the Pantanal has a revolving door of dominate males which never stick around for long. Also, caiman in los llanos are a smaller sub species and they arent the density like they are in the Panatanl. Hunting is much more prevalent in los llanos as well. No Jaguar territory on earth is going to be a more prime setting than the Panatanl, but obviously los llanos is close since they have very large cats as well. Lastly, which guides are you speaking with? I may know some |
| Users browsing this thread: |
| 7 Guest(s) |