Poaching is an increasing threat to jaguars. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the jaguar was heavily poached for their furs (Panthera Panthera onca, 2020; WWF Jaguar The Amazing, 2020). It is believed that as many as 18,000 jaguars were poached each year through 1973 (Panthera Panthera onca, 2020). On July 1, 1975 jaguars were listed under Appendix I under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (CITES Checklist Panthera, 2020). Under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species jaguars are listed as near threatened (IUCN Jaguar, 2020).
In Mexico illegal-jaguar killing is on the rise with an increase in conflicts with livestock farmers (Thompson & Cassaigne, 2020). Mexico currently has jaguars listed as a protected species with ‘risk of extinction’ (Norma Oficial, 2010; Thompson & Cassaigne, 2020). Poor livestock practices is a big reason why jaguars prey on livestock (Thompson & Cassaigne, 2020). Using deterrents like LED light systems, electric fences, cowbells, and actions that focus on the spatial distance between livestock and forested areas have begun reducing livestock depreciation and retaliatory killings of jaguars (USFWS Supporting Co-existence, 2020).
Jaguars are entering the illegal wildlife trade and are being killed at an increasing rate, mainly for their teeth and hides (USFWS Supporting Co-existence, 2020; WWF Jaguar The Amazing). Trophy hunting is also reducing jaguar population numbers in the wild (Defenders of Wildlife Jaguar, 2020).
In 2018 Yo’oko, one of three known jaguars in the United States, was poached (Hickok, 2018). The Arizona Game and Fish Department were able to identify the pelt as Yo’oko with photographs sent to them from the Northern Jaguar Project (Hickok, 2018). It is unknown who killed Yo’oko but it is believed that he was killed by a mountain lion hunter (Hickok, 2018). It is illegal to kill jaguars so it is thought that Yo’oko was killed when a mountain lion was the target, since they are legal to kill in Arizona and also have conflicts with humans over livestock depredation (Hickok, 2018).
Primero Conservation is an organization focused on finding and implementing alternative conservation solutions (Primero Conservation, 2020). They work with other organizations and ranchers to have working conservation plans and project management (Primero Conservation Projects, 2020). They work on restoring jaguar habitat by planting native trees and restoring grasslands (Primero Conservation Projects, 2020). They created carnivore conservation to work with the local community to monitor carnivores like jaguars, puma, ocelots, and other carnivores (Primero Conservation Projects, 2020). With the carnivore conservation project they have provided ranch infrastructure and management improvements for ranchers who agree not to kill jaguars (Primero Conservation Projects, 2020). Primero Conservation also has Los Cuatro Gatos de Granados Project Wildcat in Sonora, Mexico (Primero Conservation Projects, 2020).This project protects predators, specifically the northernmost breeding jaguar population (Primero Conservation Projects, 2020). Ranchers signed conservation agreements and camera traps were installed in prime habitats to monitor the predators (Primero Conservation Projects, 2020).
Literature Cited
Be the Uproar. (2020, February 29). Saving the jaguars of Brazil [Video]. YouTube.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (2020). Checklist of CITES species: Panthera. https://checklist.cites.org/#/en/search/output_layout=alphabetical&level_of_listing=0&show_synonyms=1&show_author=1&show_english=1&show_spanish=1&show_french=1&scientific_name=Panthera&page=1&per_page=20
Defenders of Wildlife. (2020). Jaguar. https://defenders.org/wildlife/jaguar
Hickok, K. (2018, June 28). Someone just killed one of the last remaining jaguars in the US. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/62949-arizona-jaguar-killed.html
International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. (2020). Jaguar: Panthera onca. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15953/123791436#threats
NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010. Norma Oficial Mexicana. Protección ambiental-Especies nativas de México de flora y fauna silvestres Categorías de riesgo y especificaciones para su inclusión, exclusión o cambio-Lista de especies en riesgo.
Pantera. (2020). Jaguar: Panthera onca.
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Primero Conservation. (2020). Primero Conservation. https://www.primeroconservation.org/
Primero Conservation. (2020). Projects. https://www.primeroconservation.org/projects
Thompson, R., & Cassaigne, I. (2020, March 4). The empowerment of livestock owners and the education of future generations to reduce human - feline carnivore conflicts. Convenio Entre Gobierno De Costa Rica Y Panthera. 28. https://download-files.wix.com/_api/download/file?downloadToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOmU2NjYzMGU3MTRmMDQ5MGFhZWExZjE0OWIzYjY5ZTMyIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDplNjY2MzBlNzE0ZjA0OTBhYWVhMWYxNDliM2I2OWUzMiIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sImlhdCI6MTYwMTQ4NTkzMSwiZXhwIjoxNjAxNDg2ODQxLCJqdGkiOiIwZmRjMzg1Y2I1NjgiLCJwYXlsb2FkIjp7InBhdGgiOiIvcmF3L2RmMTRkNV8wMGMyZmE3ZGEyMzY0OWI1YTc4YzE4NzA3NWNkMDNhMC5wZGYiLCJpbmxpbmUiOnsiZmlsZW5hbWUiOiJCb29rIENoYXB0ZXIgRmluYWwucGRmIn19fQ.eXmDCSNkeKtD8Pmwhfc0efT2T0-cBeoMwMEIttLH5Ck
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. (2020). Support co-existence with Paraguay’s majestic jaguars. International Affairs U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/international/articles/supporting-coexistence-with-jaguars-in-Paraguay.html
World Wildlife Fund. (2020). Jaguar: The amazing Amazon big cat.
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