The Jaguar By: Billy Wilcox

Description and Ecology

      The jaguar is a large feline that lives in the Southwest United States, Mexico, Central America, and throughout some parts of South America. It is the largest feline in the Western Hemisphere, measuring anywhere from 5-8 feet long and between 80 and 350 pounds. Jaguars have compact,  muscular features, including a strong chest, short and strong legs, and a strong tail. These features allow the jaguar to be a very quick and powerful hunter. Apart from its physical makeup, the Jaguar is also known for its yellowish fur with black spots, or blotches. 

     Jaguars are carnivorous, opportunistic hunters, meaning they will hunt and eat almost any type of meat they can find. This normally includes a variety of birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits, and other mammals. They have large home ranges (12-80 square miles), and theses areas are usually lowland, wet communities with high vegetational cover. High vegetation is thought to aid their ambush style of hunting, and is therefore crucial to their survival.         

Geographic and Population Changes

     Historically, jaguars were found anywhere from the southwestern United States to central Argentina, occupying all nations in between. Today, they are rarely found in the Southwestern United States and northern Argentina, and are completely eradicated from El Salvador and Uruguay. It is thought that up to 46% of their historic habitat is no longer occupied, and 37% of that area is known to be without jaguars. It is predicted that their current range will decrease by up to 30% in the coming years. Most of that 30% is predicted to include the South Western United States and Northern Mexico, as numbers have been dwindling there in recent years. 

     As of 2012, there are an estimated 15,000 jaguars remaining in the wild, a decrease of around 85% from historic surveys. Population in the extremes of their environment, including the southwestern United States and South America suffering from the greatest amount of population loss. 

Listing Date and Type

     After consideration for many years, the jaguar was listed as "Endangered" in 1997. This came after the FWS noted that the Jaguar could be listed under all 5 factors used when selecting animals for listing.

Cause of Listing and Main Threats

     The FWS found that there were 5 main factors contributing to the endangerment of the jaguar.

1. Habitat Modification and Destruction:

High deforestation throughout Latin America is leading to fragmentation and degradation of jaguar habitat. With their large home ranges and use of tree cover for hunting, deforestation is the leading cause of jaguar endangerment. Jaguar's use large pieces of land and forest cover for their ambush style of hunting, and without these things, their numbers shrink. It is thought that Jaguars have only 60% of their historic habitat remaining, and this number continues to decrease.

2. Illegal Hunting:

The killing of Jaguars for their pelts was once a large practice that fueled a huge market. Today, the practice has shrunk dramatically, but  still leaves lasting effects on jaguar populations. The market was so large, and killings so great that it has been difficult for the population to recover.

3. Disease:

A 1997 study found that fragmentation and habitat degradation is leading to an increase in disease in jaguar populations. Disease is a common issue found in all endangered populations, yet it is one that is poorly understood in jaguar populations. Many diseases such as canine distemper virus, feline leukemia virus, and feline coronavirus have been found to kill many jaguars, but it is unknown exactly how these diseases are contributing to their endangerment.

4. Inadequate Regulations:

Up until around 2010, there were very few regulatory measures being taken to help the jaguar. Beyond its 1976 CITES listing, the jaguar wasn't very protected. Because much of its habitat was found in developing nations, there wasn't a lot of money available to help the jaguar, nor did the governments of these nations recognize the need to help the jaguar. In 2010 Mexico began to take action to help the Jaguar, but there is still not enough regulations in place. Without these measures, jaguar populations can continue to fall. 

5. Other:

Other Issues such as Climate change, increases in the hunting of their prey, and border issues continue to hurt the jaguar. 

Recovery Plan

     Because the jaguar has been found in as many as 21 countries, creating a recovery plan has been difficult. The FWS has had to work with many other international agencies to decide the best way to tackle this issue. They decided their main goal was to increase Jaguar populations (no specific number given) and return them to much of their original range as possible, including the Southwestern United States, Northwestern Mexico, and into South America. To do this, the coalition conducted surveys in these areas to determine which ones still provided viable options for jaguars populations to thrive. With areas that they felt jaguars could still survive, habitats are being restored as much as possible, human contact is being removed, education is being given, as are incentives are put in place to prevent people from killing jaguars and their prey. Along with this, recovery teams are being created to continuously monitor jaguar populations and create new ways to improve and expand the existing recovery plan. The most recent recovery plan I could locate was written in 2012, and  it is very possible that their have been new additions to it that I could not locate. 

Personal Actions

     Personally, I believe education and monetary donations are the best way someone in my position can help save the jaguar. Because their are no jaguars near where I live, and it would be very difficult in my current position to help the jaguar, I can indirectly support the cause by donating money to the people working closest to jaguar populations. On top of this, I can use my newfound knowledge to help convince people to do the same. Groups like the World Wildlife Fund are great places to donate money to help save the jaguar. I can donate money to them, and help convince others to do the same. 

Works Cited and Other Cool Links

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/049777%20-%20Jaguar%20Recovery%20Outline%20-%20April%202012_2.pdf

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/jaguar

http://www.defenders.org/jaguar/protecting-critical-habitat-jaguars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWkIMUfamxI

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/baby-jaguar-born-san-diego-zoo-boy/story?id=30050958