Panthera onca, otherwise known as Jaguars, are regal, beautiful and extremely powerful animals. Jaguars are many different hues of tan, or even white but all have rosette shaped black spots. The spots on their heads, limbs and undersides are more solid spot than rosette. Fully grown Jaguars are muscular and powerful predators with fangs and retractable claws to enhance their killing power. ”The Jaguar has a rough tongue that is designed for peeling the skin away from the flesh of its prey, and…from its prey’s bones” (Miller, Peter et al). Adult males can be as large as seven feet long, excluding their tail, and they can stand up to 75 centimeters and weigh up to 300 pounds. They survive on a wide variety of land and water prey. In open land they use tall grasses to stalk their prey, in forests trees are their tool to pounce on birds or monkeys and in the water they can swim to capture fish, frogs and turtles.
Because Jaguars will hunt sheep and cattle, human farmers will shoot to kill them. Jaguars are not known for attacking humans unless they are cornered and forced to defend themselves. Humans are the main cause for the Jaguars current plight of coming close to extinction. Overpopulation and human encroachment into Jaguars natural habitats have had long term effects on the Jaguar population. Central and South America have slashed and burned many acres to make way for new housing. “Logging and cattle ranching as well as having to compete with humans for food has brought a large decrease in its population” (Miller, Peter et al).
“Current range which once included the Southern portion of North America is now restricted to Mexico, Central and South America and extending down into Northern Argentina” (Shorter). During the 1960s it is believed that 15,000 to 18,000 Jaguars were shot each year in the Brazilian Amazon. That is not counting the rest of the Jaguar population at that time. “Jaguars were listed on CITES Appendix 1 making it illegal to trade their skin or parts for commercial gain and offered protection for most of their range with the exception of Ecuador and Guyana” (Miller, Peter et al). Some wildlife preservation camps on protected land have been part of the recovery process, but a lot more needs to be done. There are several organizations like “Defenders of Wildlife” and “Wildlife Conservation Society”, who are dedicated to finding solutions to keeping Jaguars around for many more generations. “The WCS Jaguar Conservation program began in 1999 to…work with the people who live with jaguars to minimize conflicts…(W)e also work, pro-actively, with indigenous communities… to promote co-existence” (Jaguar). More importantly, “in 1990, with financial support from USAID, WCS joined with the governments and conservationists of Central America to establish an initiative known as the Paseo Pantera of Path of the Panther…to connect…small protected areas of the jaguar. The concept was adopted by all seven countries of Central America…to maintain biodiversity in the region” (Jaguar).
“The Tucano Indians of the Amazon believed the sun created the Jaguar to represent him on earth” (Shorter). Whatever one’s belief is, we owe it to the future of the planet to preserve this beautiful creature. With concerted joint efforts of the United States of America and other countries lucky enough to still have Jaguars, we can make a difference.
Sources:
“Jaguar”. Wildlife Conservation Society. Web, 30 April, 2013. http://www.wcs.org/saving-wildlife/big-cats/jaguar.aspx
Miller, William, Robbie Peter et al. “Jaguars”. Web, 30 April, 2013. F:\Endangered Wildlife Jaguar.mht
Shorter, C.M. “Wildcats of the world”. Tiger Homes. Web, 30 April, 2013. http://www.tigerhomes.org/wild-cats/wc-jaguar.cfm
This is awesome, Deborah! You are a great activist!
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