Photo of the Month (September 2024 Edition): Jaguaretê

 

The Jaguaretê, the true jaguar, known in Brazil as the onça-pintada (Panthera onca), is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic animals of Abya-Yala. Despite its wide geographic distribution, from northern Argentina to the southern United States, some populations are in decline. Hunting and habitat destruction make the continent’s largest feline vulnerable to extinction, and in some places, it has already become locally extinct.

 

In the Pantanal, ranchers once waged a kind of crusade against the jaguaretê. In this region, the species finds one of its preferred habitats, and with the uncontrolled introduction of cattle, it had easy prey. By feeding on livestock, it fueled the hatred of farmers. In the 2000s, some ranchers even organized jaguar hunting safaris, though this animosity toward the jaguaretê dates back centuries.

 

Thankfully, over the past few decades, this relationship with hunting has been changing with great effort. Raising awareness among the population, especially ranchers, along with the creation of conservation units, has made the Pantanal the region with the highest density of jaguaretês in the world.

 

But now, the felines face a new threat. What endangers them now is the destruction of the Pantanal through criminal fires, which exacerbate the effects of prolonged droughts in the region. These increasingly severe droughts are a result of climate change, while the rivers that feed the Pantanal are being dammed, with their water volumes increasingly reduced.

 

During an expedition with the Jaguar ID project, which studies the jaguaretê population in the Encontro das Águas State Park in Mato Grosso, I had the opportunity to encounter several individuals living freely in the area. The project identifies the animals by their spot patterns, allowing them to be monitored over time, just like the Iberian lynxes I described in the first edition of “Photo of the Month.”

 

Therefore, for the imposing gaze of Pollyana among the bushes along the banks of the Cuiabá River, in a moment when the Pantanal was burning uncontrollably, I dedicate this month’s photo to the resilience of the jaguaretê and the persistence and courage of those who work tirelessly for its conservation.