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The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest living cat species native to the Americas and one of few large American carnivorans to have survived into the Holocene. However, the extent to which jaguar diversity declined during the end-Pleistocene extinction event remains unclear. For example, Pleistocene jaguar fossils from North America are notably larger than the average extant jaguar, leading to hypotheses that jaguars from this continent represent a now-extinct subspecies (Panthera onca augusta) or species (Panthera augusta). Here, we used a hybridization capture approach to recover an ancient mitochondrial genome from a large, late Pleistocene jaguar from Kingston Saltpeter Cave, Georgia, United States, which we sequenced to 26-fold coverage. We then estimated the evolutionary relationship between the ancient jaguar mitogenome and those from other extinct and living large felids, including multiple jaguars sampled across the species' current range. The ancient mitogenome falls within the diversity of living jaguars. All sampled jaguar mitogenomes share a common mitochondrial ancestor ~400 thousand years ago, indicating that the lineage represented by the ancient specimen dispersed into North America from the south at least once during the late Pleistocene. While genomic data from additional and older specimens will continue to improve understanding of Pleistocene jaguar diversity in the Americas, our results suggest that this specimen falls within the variation of extant jaguars despite the relatively larger size and geographic location and does not represent a distinct taxon.

Analysis of people’s perceptions toward wildlife is fundamental in conservation planning. Also fundamental is dissemination of information about wildlife ecology. In Mexico, conservation of carnivores, who frequently come into conflict with human communities, is of utmost importance. We designed a workshop about the ecological aspects of pumas and jaguars; 232 children in elementary schools in rural, semiurban, and urban zones of Central Mexico participated. We analyzed the children’s knowledge of, perceptions of, and behavior in relation to pumas and jaguars before and after the workshop. We compared the three aspects by separating the data by grade and zone and found positive changes after the workshop. Knowledge was greater in the rural zone, but pro-conservation behavior was higher in the urban zone. Sixth-grade children displayed pro-conservation behavior and had more knowledge and more positive perceptions. We discuss the importance of involving children in conservation projects and disseminating information about large carnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although large carnivores usually prefer large prey, in some situations, they may shift their predation patterns towards smaller but abundant prey. The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large carnivore capable of changing its diet according to prey and habitat availability. Here, we assessed the temporal and spatiotemporal interactions between jaguars and their prey in the Maracá‐Jipioca Islands (Northeastern Amazon, Brazil) through camera traps. We assessed overlapping activity patterns and tested for spatiotemporal segregation/avoidance between jaguars and nine potential prey species. We used a time‐to‐encounter approach, which consists in calculating the minimum time between prey and jaguar's detections, and vice versa, for each record of preys' species at a specific camera trap station, which translates into aggregation or avoidance behaviors. We found that these insular jaguars are more active in daylight periods when most of their prey are active and in locations used by species that cannot become nocturnal to avoid predators due to morphology constraints. Four prey species (great egret, white‐tailed deer, muscovy duck, and black‐and‐white tegu) presented moderate activity overlapping with jaguars. Agoutis and white‐tailed deer seek to spatiotemporally segregate from jaguars, although jaguars did not show spatiotemporal aggregation with any of the evaluated prey. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics is essential to establish the islands' trophic network composition and structure. This is fundamental information to efficiently allocate efforts for reducing costs and maximizing benefits in managing this population aiming to protect and conserve it, and consequently, the related ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic activities may alter felid assemblage structure, facilitating the persistence of tolerant species (commonly mesopredators), excluding ecologically demanding ones (top predators) and, consequently, changing coexistence rules. We aimed to determine how human activities influence intraguild relationships among top predators and their cascading effects on mesopredators, which remain poorly understood despite evidence of top carnivore decline. We used structural equation modeling at a continental scale to investigate how habitat quality and quantity, livestock density, and other human pressures modified the intraguild relations of the 3 species that are at the top of the food chain in the Neotropics: jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis). We included presence–absence data derived from systematic studies compiled in Neocarnivores data set for these felid species at 0.0833° resolution. Human disturbance reduced the probability of jaguar occurrence by −0.35 standard deviations. Unexpectedly, the presence of sheep (Ovis aries) or goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and jaguars was positively related to the presence of pumas, whereas puma presence was negatively related to the presence of ocelots. Extent of forest cover had more of an effect on jaguar (β = 0.23) and ocelot (β = 0.12) occurrences than the extent of protected area, which did not have a significant effect. The lack of effect of human activities on puma presence and the positive effect of small livestock supports the notion that pumas are more adaptable to habitat disturbance than jaguars. Our findings suggest that human disturbance has the potential to reverse the hierarchical competition dominance among large felids, leading to an unbalanced community structure. This shift disadvantages jaguars and elevates the position of pumas in the assemblage hierarchy, resulting in the exclusion of ocelots, despite their relatively lower susceptibility to anthropogenic disturbance. Our results suggest that conservation efforts should extend beyond protected areas to encompass the surrounding landscape, where complexities and potential conflicts are more pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depredation of domestic horses (Equus caballus) by jaguars (Panthera onca) is an example of human–wildlife conflict that has not received much attention. We monitored spatio‐temporal activity and distribution of horses in a 2.64‐km2 fenced area in the dry forest of northwestern Costa Rica in response to 16 jaguar killings of horses during January‐November 2017. We monitored 4 horses (2 males, 2 females) equipped with global positioning system transmitters from February‐September 2018 to identify daily and seasonal patterns of use of cover types and a water source by horses. We then compared these results to the previous locations where jaguars killed horses to identify the circumstances under which horses seemed more vulnerable to jaguar predation. Based on 1,693 locations, horses spent most time in grassland (92%) rather than forest and edge vegetation (8%) and used a core area of 0.74 km2 (kernel density estimation) to 0.86 km2 (minimum convex polygon). Of 16 horse predation events by jaguars, 9 events (56%) occurred in grasslands, 4 in forested areas (25%), and 3 in the forest edge (19%), indicating predation events occurred disproportionately from expected counts based on horse use of vegetation. The predation sites were characterized by a higher proportion of edge and a lower proportion of forest compared to a random points. We suggest that when horses explored areas near the edge of forested areas, the chances of being preyed on by jaguars increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jaguars are endangered in Mexico, with negative interactions with livestock producers being one of the main threats to their populations. We collared three jaguars with search Global Positioning System (GPS) clusters to document prey species eaten by them in the Sierra del Abra-Tanchipa Biosphere Reserve (RBSAT) and surrounding agrolandscape, in northeastern Mexico, to determine the relative use of natural prey and livestock. We detected, through examination of the carcasses (scavenging and predation events), 35 individual prey at feeding sites, primarily collared peccary (40% of sites), cattle (23%), and white-tailed deer (20%). Cattle comprised 64% and wild ungulates provided 34% of the estimated biomass in jaguar diets (biomass was calculated based on the estimated mass consumed and the assumption of an edible portion), with cattle consumed only during the dry season. Seasonal use apparently reflected increased encounters between jaguars and livestock during the dry season, probably due to the presence of limited permanent water sources concentrating livestock (and natural prey) along with jaguars taking advantage of the increased vulnerability of livestock during the dry season (either through predation or scavenging). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities are one of the most critical threats to wildlife. Therefore, understanding human-wildlife interactions is key to designing and applying sound conservation strategies. We identified wild animals relevant for people in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, southern Mexico considering four types of interactions: Use, affect (either positive or negative), and conflict. Twenty-eight workshops and 670 wildlife-human experiences with 58 taxa were recorded. The most relevant species were Odocoileus virginianus, Tapirus bairdii, Panthera onca, Pharomachrus mocinno, and Bothriechis bicolor. Positive affect was the most frequent interaction reported (46%), followed by use (20%), conflict (17%), and negative affect (16%). Negative affect and conflicts were mainly related to fear and damage by native predators. Species use was relatively infrequent (20%). We propose that conservation strategies be directed according to the species and their specific interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Los jaguares (Panthera onca) son los felinos más grandes de América y el único representante del género Panthera. El jaguar es un depredador ápice, indicador de la salud de los ecosistemas en los que habita. A pesar de su amplia distribución, sus poblaciones se han visto gradualmente extirpadas de su rango natural (Ceballos et al. 2018). Se encuentra categorizado como casi amenazado en la Lista Roja de las Especies WWF- World Wildlife Fund, s.f.). El jaguar fue el señor de los animales y símbolo divino. A este felino se le relacionaba con el poder, la noche y el inframundo, la fertilidad de la tierra y hasta la muerte. El Jaguar es un animal que aparece representado en todo el territorio Mesoamericano a lo largo de la historia (Solís et.al 2009). Está prácticamente extinto en Estados Unidos, El Salvador y Uruguay. Sus poblaciones están repartidas en 18 países latinoamericanos: México, Belice, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Ecuador, Guyana Francesa, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina, Perú, Bolivia y Brasil (WWF, s.f).

Se realizó revisión bibliográfica de libros (cuatro), artículos científicos (tres) y visitas a un sitio arqueológico (Casa Blanca) y MUNA. Como producto de este proceso se obtuvo datos de representaciones de individuos de la familia Felidae Orden Carnívora, a partir de 13 registros de piezas de cerámica (cinco) como de lítica (ocho). La procedencia de las piezas proviene de seis departamentos (Santa Ana, Ahuachapán, La Libertad, San Salvador, San Vicente y San Miguel). Consultando las diversas fuentes revisadas, siete de los 11 registros constituyen, de acuerdo a los especialistas, jaguares (Panthera onca) y el resto felinos (Felidae: Carnívora). Con respecto a toponimia, se documento cuatro sitios, todos del occidente de El Salvador, cuyos nombres son alusivos a felinos.

The success of translocation as a management tool is based on reversing the factors that led to a population becoming threatened or locally extinct. We assessed whether translocating a jaguar Panthera onca into the surroundings of a protected area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest with a resident jaguar population was effective. We captured a male jaguar in an urban area where there were no substantiated previous records of jaguars. In the capture area only one predation event had been recorded, when the jaguar killed several chickens a few days before capture. After capture we translocated the jaguar to a forested area 240 km from the capture site, adjacent to the Rio Doce State Park. To investigate whether the potential geographical origin of the individual was any nearby fragment of the Atlantic Forest or nearby fragments of the Cerrado ecoregion, we genotyped it for 12 microsatellite loci and compared the results to a database developed previously. We fitted the jaguar with a GPS/VHF collar from which we recovered 2.5 months of data. Post-release monitoring with camera traps indicated the jaguar established residence within the region of the Park and we recorded no events of predation on livestock. The genetic analysis indicated that the jaguar resembled individuals from the Inner Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Amazon. Translocation was an important tool for avoiding potentially negative interactions between the jaguar and local people, and may have benefitted the jaguar population at the release site.

The increasing frequency and severity of human‐caused fires likely have deleterious effects on species distribution and persistence. In 2020, megafires in the Brazilian Pantanal burned 43% of the biome's unburned area and resulted in mass mortality of wildlife. We investigated changes in habitat use or occupancy for an assemblage of eight mammal species in Serra do Amolar, Brazil, following the 2020 fires using a pre‐ and post‐fire camera trap dataset. Additionally, we estimated the density for two naturally marked species, jaguars Panthera onca and ocelots Leopardus pardalis. Of the eight species, six (ocelots, collared peccaries Dicotyles tajacu, giant armadillos Priodontes maximus, Azara's agouti Dasyprocta azarae, red brocket deer Mazama americana, and tapirs Tapirus terrestris) had declining occupancy following fires, and one had stable habitat use (pumas Puma concolor). Giant armadillo experienced the most precipitous decline in occupancy from 0.431 ± 0.171 to 0.077 ± 0.044 after the fires. Jaguars were the only species with increasing habitat use, from 0.393 ± 0.127 to 0.753 ± 0.085. Jaguar density remained stable across years (2.8 ± 1.3, 3.7 ± 1.3, 2.6 ± 0.85/100 km2), while ocelot density increased from 13.9 ± 3.2 to 16.1 ± 5.2/100 km2. However, the low number of both jaguars and ocelots recaptured after the fire period suggests that immigration may have sustained the population. Our results indicate that the megafires will have significant consequences for species occupancy and fitness in fire‐affected areas. The scale of megafires may inhibit successful recolonization, thus wider studies are needed to investigate population trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Livestock predation fuels conflicts between humans and wildlife, leading to the killing of wild animals such as Andean bears, jaguars, and pumas. Despite wild predators being blamed, domestic dogs also harm livestock and spread diseases among animals and people, affecting nature, local livelihoods, food, and our well-being, the very goals the United Nations aims to safeguard by 2030. In Ecuador, where families depend on livestock, retaliatory hunting jeopardizes the survival of wildlife. However, the role of dogs in these conflicts remains unclear. This study analyzed DNA found on bite wounds, revealing traces of dog saliva on animals presumed to be attacked by wild predators. This discovery challenges misconceptions about these animals in Ecuador and emphasizes the need to manage dog populations more effectively. To address this issue, we propose incorporating DNA tests in livestock predation cases to assess the involvement of dogs accurately. By understanding the true causes, strategies can be devised to mitigate these conflicts, preserving the vital role of these important animals in our ecosystem. Livestock predation induces global human–wildlife conflict, triggering the retaliatory killing of large carnivores. Although domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) contribute to livestock depredation, blame primarily falls on wild predators. Dogs can also transmit pathogens between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Therefore, the presence of free-ranging dogs can have negative consequences for biodiversity conservation, smallholder economy, food supply, and public health, four of the United Nations' Sustainable Developed Goals (SDGs) for 2030. In Ecuador, where livestock sustains rural households, retaliatory poaching threatens Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), jaguar (Panthera onca), and puma (Puma concolor) populations. However, the role of dogs in these incidents remains underexplored. The present study evaluates the possibility of reliable molecular identification of predatory species from DNA traces in bite wounds. Our results revealed the presence of dog saliva on four out of six livestock carcasses presumably attacked by wild predators. These findings highlight the importance of rectifying misinformation about large carnivores in Ecuador and the need to control dog populations. We recommend that local administrations incorporate DNA analysis into livestock predation events to examine how common the problem is, and to use the analysis to develop conflict mitigation strategies which are essential for the conservation of large carnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absence of robust interspecific isolation barriers among pantherines, including the iconic South American jaguar (Panthera onca), led us to study molecular evolution of typically rapidly evolving reproductive proteins within this subfamily and related groups. In this study, we delved into the evolutionary forces acting on the zona pellucida (ZP) gamete interaction protein family and the sperm‐oocyte fusion protein pair IZUMO1‐JUNO across the Carnivora order, distinguishing between Caniformia and Feliformia suborders and anticipating few significant diversifying changes in the Pantherinae subfamily. A chromosome‐resolved jaguar genome assembly facilitated coding sequences, enabling the reconstruction of protein evolutionary histories. Examining sequence variability across more than 30 Carnivora species revealed that Feliformia exhibited significantly lower diversity compared to its sister taxa, Caniformia. Molecular evolution analyses of ZP2 and ZP3, subunits directly involved in sperm‐recognition, unveiled diversifying positive selection in Feliformia, Caniformia and Pantherinae, although no significant changes were linked to sperm binding. Structural cross‐linking ZP subunits, ZP4 and ZP1 exhibited lower levels or complete absence of positive selection. Notably, the fusion protein IZUMO1 displayed prominent positive selection signatures and sites in basal lineages of both Caniformia and Feliformia, extending along the Caniformia subtree but absent in Pantherinae. Conversely, JUNO did not exhibit any positive selection signatures across tested lineages and clades. Eight Caniformia‐specific positive selected sites in IZUMO1 were detected within two JUNO‐interaction clusters. Our findings provide for the first time insights into the evolutionary trajectories of ZP proteins and the IZUMO1‐JUNO gamete interaction pair within the Carnivora order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human‐wildlife coexistence as a concept and management objective has received increasing attention from researchers and decision makers. The coexistence approach will benefit from the recognition that, at broader scales, human‐wildlife interactions (HWI) are best understood and managed collaboratively and as complex systems, that is, dynamic, non‐linear, emergent, adaptive and, therefore, unpredictable. We present a planning process for human‐wildlife coexistence that provides a platform for collaboration between researchers and decision‐makers—and other stakeholders as well—and recognizes the complex nature of HWI. The three elements that define the process are: coexistence instead of conservation or conflict mitigation as a goal, systems thinking as the approach, and an emphasis on verifiable results rather than actions. As a way of illustration, we describe a 3‐day planning workshop for human‐jaguar coexistence in the Pantanal, Brazil. The 15 participants representing the academic, governmental, and non‐profit sectors identified 12 interactions directly involving 27 stakeholders and indirectly another 55. A theory of change was produced, connecting 20 actions—to be performed by 22 actors—with the 57 factors that directly and indirectly drive the interactions. How these results complement other approaches such as Action Plans is discussed. The proposed approach favors the pragmatism of adaptive co‐management over the often unrealistic expectation of a linear path to solution, or in other words, a shift from the notion of human‐wildlife coexistence as a quantifiable target to that of coexistence as a desired system state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of translocation as a management tool is based on reversing the factors that led to a population becoming threatened or locally extinct. We assessed whether translocating a jaguar Panthera onca into the surroundings of a protected area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest with a resident jaguar population was effective. We captured a male jaguar in an urban area where there were no substantiated previous records of jaguars. In the capture area only one predation event had been recorded, when the jaguar killed several chickens a few days before capture. After capture we translocated the jaguar to a forested area 240 km from the capture site, adjacent to the Rio Doce State Park. To investigate whether the potential geographical origin of the individual was any nearby fragment of the Atlantic Forest or nearby fragments of the Cerrado ecoregion, we genotyped it for 12 microsatellite loci and compared the results to a database developed previously. We fitted the jaguar with a GPS/VHF collar from which we recovered 2.5 months of data. Post-release monitoring with camera traps indicated the jaguar established residence within the region of the Park and we recorded no events of predation on livestock. The genetic analysis indicated that the jaguar resembled individuals from the Inner Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Amazon. Translocation was an important tool for avoiding potentially negative interactions between the jaguar and local people, and may have benefitted the jaguar population at the release site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coexistence education is essential in resolving human-wildlife conflicts. Two educational interventions were assessed among school children to understand the effectiveness of distinct approaches used in education campaigns. One had a strong audio-visual component, while the second was based on storytelling. Interventions focused on jaguars and pumas because these species are declining in the Caatinga biome, mainly due to conflicts with humans. Children's socioeconomic backgrounds were assessed. Both interventions significantly enhanced prominence, knowledge and positive perceptions of jaguars and pumas. The audio-visual intervention showed a higher overall positive effect on prominence and perceptions. Storytelling proved a stronger tool for increasing knowledge. Socioeconomic background also proved an important driver in all domains. Nature proximity and parents' education level showed significant influence on children's knowledge, prominence, and perceptions. The outcomes of this study show the importance of using complementary methods and adapting similar initiatives to local social contexts to achieve success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Dung beetles provide many important ecosystem services, including dung decomposition, pathogen control, soil aeration, and secondary seed dispersal. Yet, the biology of most dung beetles remains unknown. Natural diets are poorly studied, partly because previous research has focused on choice or attraction experiments using few, easily accessible dung types from zoo animals, farm animals, or humans. This way, many links within natural food webs have certainly been missed. In this work, we aimed to establish a protocol to analyze the natural diets of dung beetles using DNA gut barcoding. Methods. First, the feasibility of gut-content DNA extraction and amplification of 12s rDNA from six different mammal dung types was tested in the laboratory. We then applied the method to beetles caught in pitfall traps in Ecuador and Germany by using 12s rDNA primers. For a subset of the dung beetles caught in the Ecuador sampling, we also used 16s rDNA primers to see if these would improve the number of species we could identify. We predicted the likelihood of amplifying DNA using gut fullness, DNA concentration, PCR primer, collection method, and beetle species as predictor variables in a dominance analysis. Based on the gut barcodes, we generated a dung beetle-mammal network for both field sites (Ecuador and Germany) and analyzed the levels of network specificity. Results. We successfully amplified mammal DNA from dung beetle gut contents for 128 specimens, which included such prominent species as Panthera onca (jaguar) and Puma concolor (puma). The overall success rate of DNA amplification was 53%. The best predictors for amplification success were gut fullness and DNA concentration, suggesting the success rate can be increased by focusing on beetles with a full gut. The mammal dung-dung beetle networks differed from purely random network models and showed a moderate degree of network specialization (H2': Ecuador = 0.49; Germany = 0.41). Conclusion. We here present a reliable method of extracting and amplifying gutcontent DNA from dung beetles. Identifying mammal dung via DNA reference libraries, we created mammal dung-dung beetle trophic networks. This has benefits over previous methods because we inventoried the natural mammal dung resources of dung beetles instead of using artificial mammal baits. Our results revealed higher levels of specialization than expected and more rodent DNA than expected in Germany, suggesting that the presented method provides more detailed insights into mammal dung-dung beetle networks. In addition, the method could have applications for mammal monitoring in many ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock ranching overlaps extensively with jaguar and puma distribution in the Casanare Department of east-central Colombia. Conservation programs prioritize large carnivores in the region. Ranchers retaliate by killing them in response to economic losses or fear related to their presence. Reducing retaliatory hunting is a top priority in the conservation of feline species. Predation mitigation methods (PMMs) are necessary to reduce depredation and increase tolerance for large felines. In a prospective cohort study, 16 ranches between 2017 and 2019 used electric fences (n = 14) and introduced creole cattle (n = 2) as PMMs. There was a significant difference in the risk and odds ratios between the control and treatment groups. Livestock depredation was 14.78 times higher outside PMM areas (OR, 14.78; RR, 0.069; p < 0.001) than inside such areas. The losses caused by depredation were much higher than the investments made in PMMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the largest felid in the Americas, the jaguar Panthera onca has both ecological and cultural significance in Bolivia. Yet jaguar populations are declining because of multiple pervasive anthropogenic pressures, including domestic and international demand for their body parts. Since 2013, Bolivia has become a centre of the illegal trade of jaguar body parts, driven by demand from Chinese markets. From 2021, there have been anecdotal reports of jaguar body parts being sold to prisons in north-western Bolivia, where inmates use them to make crafts to be sold at local markets. Here we provide further insights into this illegal wildlife trade activity. Specifically, we show that inmates at Mocovi prison in Trinidad purchase skins of jaguars and other wild animals directly from hunters and from vendors at local markets. Goods (wallets, hats and purses) produced from the skins are sold back to vendors by the inmates to provide income for their daily sustenance. Testimony from an inmate also stated that large bulk orders for wildlife products had been received from a non-Bolivian client base. The San Borja municipality in Beni was indicated as a key location where jaguars are being targeted for their skins to supply the illegal production of wildlife products in Mocovi prison. Further studies are required to determine the extent of this illegal activity in Mocovi prison and other prisons in Bolivia, and in other Latin American countries.

Species within the same ecological guild exhibit niche attributes that vary in association with their diet, spatial occupancy, and temporal activity to reduce competition. In the case of the tropical felid community, many species exhibit substantial overlap in these niche dimensions. Consequently, jaguars (Panthera onca) will sometimes kill the smaller ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) competitor in a phenomenon called intraguild predation (IGP), which is a major structuring force in tropical forests. We developed a spatially explicit agent-based model to understand IGP with the expectation that ocelots employ spatial avoidance strategies using available forest canopy as the more arboreal species. We parameterized model agents with realistic behaviors to replicate the real-world environment. Jaguar and ocelot agents were allowed to move, hunt, and reproduce with varying numbers, heights, and canopy thickness of trees as we recorded IGP events and ocelot canopy occupancy. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to demonstrate how the number and height of trees significantly affected IGP occurrence. In accordance with our hypothesis, we found that the main contributor mediating coexistence between the two species was spatial avoidance of jaguars by ocelots by using available canopy refuges. Our modeling approach has broad application to different environments with similar intraguild interactions to predict the importance of forest structure and can inform policy directed toward forest management and habitat conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal trade in big cat (Panthera spp.) body parts is a prominent topic in scientific and public discourses concerning wildlife conservation. While illegal trade is generally acknowledged as a threat to big cat species, we suggest that two enabling factors have, to date, been under‐considered. To that end, we discuss the roles of human‐felid conflict, and "local" use in illegal trade in big cat body parts. Drawing examples from across species and regions, we look at generalities, contextual subtleties, ambiguities, and definitional complexities. We caution against underestimating the extent of "local" use of big cats and highlight the potential of conflict killings to supply body parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the largest felid in the Americas, the jaguar Panthera onca has both ecological and cultural significance in Bolivia. Yet jaguar populations are declining because of multiple pervasive anthropogenic pressures, including domestic and international demand for their body parts. Since 2013, Bolivia has become a centre of the illegal trade of jaguar body parts, driven by demand from Chinese markets. From 2021, there have been anecdotal reports of jaguar body parts being sold to prisons in north-western Bolivia, where inmates use them to make crafts to be sold at local markets. Here we provide further insights into this illegal wildlife trade activity. Specifically, we show that inmates at Mocovi prison in Trinidad purchase skins of jaguars and other wild animals directly from hunters and from vendors at local markets. Goods (wallets, hats and purses) produced from the skins are sold back to vendors by the inmates to provide income for their daily sustenance. Testimony from an inmate also stated that large bulk orders for wildlife products had been received from a non-Bolivian client base. The San Borja municipality in Beni was indicated as a key location where jaguars are being targeted for their skins to supply the illegal production of wildlife products in Mocovi prison. Further studies are required to determine the extent of this illegal activity in Mocovi prison and other prisons in Bolivia, and in other Latin American countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large carnivores such as the jaguar Panthera onca are particularly susceptible to population decline and local extinction as a result of habitat loss. Here we report on the long-term monitoring of a local jaguar population in a mixed land-use area in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia from March 2017 to December 2019. We recorded 15 jaguar individuals and four reproduction events (five offspring from three females), suggesting that our study area harbours a resident breeding population. Seven iterations of spatially explicit capture–recapture models provided density estimates of 1.32–3.57 jaguars per 100 km2. Jaguar capture rates were highest in forested areas, with few to no jaguar captures in pastures used for livestock. Massive deforestation after the survey period reduced the proportion of dense forest cover by 33%, shrinking the availability of suitable jaguar habitat and placing the resident jaguar population at risk. We use the jaguar as an indicator species to highlight the threat of habitat destruction in the Chiquitano region and we emphasize the importance of intact forest patches for jaguar conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The goal of this study was to evaluate consistency among multiple connectivity models for jaguar and puma across Panama to evaluate the plausible current patterns of habitat connectivity for these and potentially other species in this critical biogeographic linkage zone. Approach: We compared 72 different models of landscape connectivity for both large felids using both empirically based and expert opinion derived resistance layers. We conducted resistant kernel modeling with different dispersal abilities to reflect uncertainty in the movement potential of the two species. We applied three transformations to the resulting connectivity surfaces to account for uncertainty about the shape of the dispersal kernel function. We then evaluated the similarities and differences among these connectivity models, identifying several factors that drive their differences. We quantified the factors that drive differences in connectivity predictions using surface correlation, Mantel testing, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering. Results: We found that the main differences among predicted connectivity surfaces were related to species and resistance modeling approach, with relatively little consistent difference related to dispersal ability and nonlinear kernel transformation. Based on the ensemble connectivity prediction across the 72 models, we identified two major core areas, corresponding to the eastern and western portions of the central mountain range, significant attenuation of connectivity in lowland and developed areas of Panama, a major breakage in connectivity in the Canal Zone spanning the width of the country, and weak but potentially critical movement routes connecting the two core areas across the Canal Zone. Implications: This paper contributes to both a theoretical and practical understanding of the functional connectivity of large felids, confirming the strong effect of differences in source points and resistance surfaces on connectivity predictions and identifying and mapping key core areas, barriers, and potential corridors for carnivore movement across the critical Pan-American linkage of the Isthmus of Panama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the development of interventions on mural paintings in Teotihuacan and the strategies applied to new findings, such as the one we carried out between 2013 and 2015 at the Complex of the Jaguars, belonging to the Quetzalpapalotl Architectural Complex and located in the northern area of this monumental pre-Hispanic city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nematode species of the genus Dracunculus (Spirurida: Dracunculoidea) infect tissues and body cavities of reptiles, domestic and wild carnivores, and humans. The definitive hosts acquire the infection by ingesting intermediate (i.e., cyclopoid copepod) or paratenic (i.e., amphibians and fishes) hosts. Here we report the jaguar (Panthera onca) as a potential new host for Dracunculus sp. The nematode was collected from an ulcerated cutaneous nodule on the left anterior limb of a female jaguar in the municipality of Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Based on the morphology of first stage larvae collected from a small fragment of the uterus of the adult nematode, the species was identified as Dracunculus sp. Reichard, 1759. Additionally, the morphological identification was molecularly confirmed by sequencing the cox1 gene. This report advocates for further investigations into the transmission cycle of this parasite in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland, considering the role of wildlife hosts and the zoonotic potential of Dracunculus species in that area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven new species from the Scytodoidea group are described from mainland Ecuador: in the family Drymusidae, Drymusa pristirana sp. nov. (female) and in the family Scytodidae, Scytodes amazonica sp. nov. (male, female); S. argelia sp. nov. (female), S. ayampe sp. nov. (female), S. choco sp. nov. (male, female), S. costa sp. nov. (female), S. jaguar sp. nov. (male), S. loja sp. nov. (female), S. minus sp. nov. (male); S. orellana sp. nov. (male, female); and S. tayos sp. nov. (male). The new species D. pristirana sp. nov. presents a unique morphological character on the ventral surface of the female abdomen. The type specimens of S. lineatipesTaczanowski, 1874 from French Guiana and S. luteola Simon, 1893 from Venezuela are imaged for the first time, and S. romitii Caporiacco, 1947 is removed from synonymy with S. lineatipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the case of a jaguar raised as a pet by some paramilitary warlords, this article discusses how armed conflict encompasses more‐than‐human realities, becoming a hybrid experience capable of dislocating the borders between environmental and social processes, predation and warfare, human and nonhuman agency, and subjects and objects. It draws attention to a pervasive form of damage—afterlives—that stays with people in ways that compel us to reconsider wartime and the delivery of justice in places, such as traditional Afro‐Colombian territories, that are palpably made of entangled relationships between the human and nonhuman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Safe and efficient capture of animals is a fundamental aim when working with large predators. Here, we describe a new system for capturing large Neotropical felids. For the first time, a minimally invasive capture system was used to capture a jaguar and facilitate its posterior GPS tracking in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. The jaguar was a 16-year-old adult male, who mainly moved over an area of 175 km2 in protected areas. The GPS collar worked optimally, and it located the jaguar on 86% of expected occasions. Most locations were in native grassland, marsh, and dense lowland forest. Using a minimally invasive capture system is more efficient, selective, portable, and less risky for both animals and trappers, and causes less stress to animals compared to other capture methods used for the species. This study presents the first successful capture using GPS tagging of a jaguar (Panthera onca) using a minimally invasive capture system (MICS). We used snare-foot traps and a MICS during two capture campaigns in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. The specimen disarmed snares on different occasions, and capture was only possible with the MICS. The captured jaguar, an estimated 16-year-old adult male, was monitored using a GPS Vertex Plus Iridium collar with an optimal performance of 86% in expected locations. The jaguar's home range (659 km2 by MPC and 174 km2 by 95%K) was within the observed range for the species and the animal was primarily maintained in protected areas. The habitat types most frequently used were native grassland (27.2% of 4798 fixes), marsh (24.8%), and dense lowland forest (24.7%). The use of a MICS for trapping jaguars is a promising technique that shows advantages in terms of efficiency, selectivity, portability, reduced potential risk of injury to animals or trappers, and animal stress compared to other capture methods used for the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified individual jaguars from a database of camera-trap images collected in the Eastern Amazonian rainforest using the artificial intelligence software HotSpotter. We identified individuals from 131 of 217 images. Twenty-five different individuals were identified based on images of the left side. We compared our results with the results from an undergraduate study that manually identified 18 jaguar individuals from 53 images also used in the present study. One of the 18 individuals was found to be misclassified based on HotSpotter. We found HotSpotter to be useful in identifying individual jaguars in our study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an editorial published in Frontiers in Conservation Science that focuses on the topic of transboundary conservation. The editorial highlights the importance of coordinated management and collaborative efforts in protecting ecosystems that span international borders. It discusses specific research studies that analyze transboundary conservation in different regions, including the impact of border infrastructure on jaguars in the United States-Mexico borderlands, the establishment of transboundary conservation areas in Africa, and the need for comprehensive biodiversity monitoring in the Arctic. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for effective coordination, knowledge sharing, funding, and stakeholder engagement in transboundary conservation efforts. It also suggests future research directions, such as studying species' cross-border movements, measuring the success of transboundary conservation, and exploring the link between transboundary conservation and environmental security and peacebuilding. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Illegal trade in big cat (Panthera spp.) body parts is a prominent topic in scientific and public discourses concerning wildlife conservation. While illegal trade is generally acknowledged as a threat to big cat species, we suggest that two enabling factors have, to date, been under‐considered. To that end, we discuss the roles of human‐felid conflict, and “local” use in illegal trade in big cat body parts. Drawing examples from across species and regions, we look at generalities, contextual subtleties, ambiguities, and definitional complexities. We caution against underestimating the extent of “local” use of big cats and highlight the potential of conflict killings to supply body parts.

This study addresses the understudied predation ecology of Atelocynus microtis, a rare and Near Threatened Amazonian canid. We detail depredation events by the felid species, Panthera onca (Jaguar), observed in southeastern Peru in 2004. The observations were made during ongoing research, which includes radio-telemetry tracking and a reintroduction project. Given historical observed ecological overlaps, we also speculate that Puma concolor (Puma, Mountain Lion) could be a potential predator of A. microtis. Our findings expand the limited existing knowledge on the predators of A. microtis, suggesting a broader range of predators than previously identified.

ABSTRACT: The decline in the jaguar population confirms how much the species is vulnerable to extinction in Brazil. It also indicates the degradation of its natural habitat’s environmental integrity and quality. Studies claim that large felids are susceptible to feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and are presumptively diagnosed clinically in Brazil. A free-living jaguar (Panthera onca) cub was found unconscious and rescued due to a possible hit-and-run in the savannah of Mato Grosso. During recovery, it exhibited clinical and hematological signs consistent with FPV infection. The PCR was positive for FPV, with 99.61% identity between the FPV sequences available in the GenBank database through the BLAST tool. Due to habitat restrictions, certain diseases threaten wild cats and habitat encroachment by domestic animals can alter the pattern of spread of pathogens. We highlight the importance of the molecular diagnosis and phylogenetic analysis of FPV to elucidate how it has reached wild felids.

IntroductionThere has been a gradual increase in studies of social media data usage in biodiversity conservation. Social media data is an underused source of information with the potential to maximize the outcomes of established conservation measures. In this study, we assessed how structured social media data can provide insight into species conservation through a species conservation plan, based on predefined actions. MethodsWe established a framework centered on a set of steps that go from defining social media platforms and species of interest to applying general analysis of data based on data dimensions—three W’s framework (What, When, Who) and the public engagement that posts received. The final and most important step in our proposed framework is to assess the overlap between social media data outcomes and measures established in conservation plans. In our study, we used the Brazilian National Action Plan (BNAP) for big cats as our model. We extracted posts and metrics about jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) from two social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter. ResultsWe obtained 159 posts for both jaguars and pumas on Facebook (manually) and 23,869 posts for the jaguar and 14,675 posts for the puma on Twitter (through an application user interface). Data were categorized for content and users (only Facebook data) based on analysis of the content obtained and similarities found between posts. We used descriptive statistics for analyzing the metrics extracted for each data dimension (what, when, who, and engagement). We also used algorithms to predict categories in the Twitter database. Our most important findings were based on the development of a matrix summarizing the overlapping actions and dimensions of the data. Our findings revealed that the most prominent category of information for jaguars on Facebook was the sighting of wildlife outside protected areas, while for pumas, it was the trespassing of property by wildlife. From the Twitter dataset, we observed that the most prominent category of information for jaguars was: the sighting of wildlife outside protected areas, while for pumas, it was wildlife depredation by direct or indirect means. We found temporal trends that highlight the importance of categories in understanding information peaks on Facebook and Twitter. DiscussionWhen we analyze online engagement, we see a predominance of positive reactions on Facebook, and on Twitter, we see a balanced reaction between positive and negative. We identified 10 of 41 actions in the BNAP that might benefit from social media data. Most of the actions that could benefit from our dataset were linked to human–wildlife conflicts and threats, such as wildlife–vehicle collisions. Communication and educational actions could benefit from all dimensions of the data. Our results highlight the variety of information on social media to inform conservation programs and their application to conservation actions. We believe that studies on the success of applying data to conservation measures are the next step in this process and could benefit from input from decision-makers.

The document presents a list of contributors to the Journal of Social Sciences, including Giorgos Katsavavakis, María Guadalupe Zamudio Guerrero, Erika Saccucci, Paula Reinoso, Edwin Gabriel Garduño de Jesus, Hilda C. Vargas Cancino, and Doria Bibiana Escobar. Each contributor has different areas of interest and has published articles on topics such as communication and development, jaguar conservation, environmental conflicts, land access, and food sovereignty. The text also mentions David Arturo Ospina-Ramírez, Claudia Marcela López Galeano, Oscar Andrés Cardona Guzmán, Yessenia Fallas Jiménez, Emmanuel Nicolás Kahan, Lior Zylberman, and Estefanía Valverde Bonilla, who have different specialties and research approaches. [Extracted from the article]

While the use of trees has been widely documented for most of the big cats, this information is scant for the jaguar (Panthera onca). In this study, we investigated the use of trees by jaguars, evaluating different underlying reasons as well as the frequency of tree use based on sex, age, and reproductive status. Data were obtained from 2013 to 2020 through a combination of direct observations during fieldwork and camera trapping focused on this behavior in the Brazilian Pantanal. We documented 252 climbing events (176 direct observations, 76 camera captures). Using only camera trapping data to avoid observers' influence on jaguar behavior, we fitted generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) with jaguar identity as a random factor to test the effects of age, sex, and presence of conspecifics in the odds of animals climbing trees. We also used a generalized linear model (GLM) to test the effect of adult body weight on jaguar tree climbing probability. Age and presence of conspecifics were the most important drivers of jaguar climbing behavior in the study area, with cubs being more likely to climb trees than adults of either sex (odds ratio = 7.91, p < 0.001), and the presence of conspecifics, irrespective of age and sex, accentuated that behavior (odds ratio = 3.26, p < 0.005). Adult females (especially the lighter ones) and cubs were commonly recorded through direct observation on trees, a similar trend to our GLMM that showed a marginally negative effect of body weight on jaguar tree climbing probability. Only a few adult male jaguars ascended trees, and in all cases, these males were following females in heat. We suggest that trees are vertical extensions inside jaguar home ranges and may be safe refuges for resting and for protecting offspring against potential threats, including the harassment of large adult males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jaguars carry deep cultural and spiritual significance throughout the Americas, from sports mascots to their associations with Indigenous deities to their veneration as a vulnerable and charismatic megafauna. Though thought to be extinct in the US for much of the twentieth century, they maintain a small but powerful presence along the US/México border region. The continued viability of these jaguar populations is severely threatened by the border walls that the US government has been working to erect since the early 2000s. By examining the entanglements between jaguar and border geographies on the one hand, and racially disposable migrants, Indigenous peoples, and racial capitalism on the other, this article argues that carceral configurations of nation-state borders, conservation, and immigration enforcement are incompatible with liberatory notions of human and nonhuman survival. It poses border abolition that takes seriously the nonhuman, vis-à-vis jaguars, is essential to making abolition geographies and ecologies within and beyond the US/México borderlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution range and population abundance of species provide fundamental information on the species–habitat relationship required for management and conservation. Abundance inherently provides more information about the ecology of species than do occurrence data. However, information on abundance is scarce for most species, mainly at large spatial scales. The objective of this work was, therefore, to provide information regarding the population status of six wild felids inhabiting territories in Mexico that are inaccessible or politically unstable. This was done using species distribution models derived from occurrence data. We used distribution data at a continental scale for the wild felids inhabiting Mexico: jaguar (Panthera onca), bobcat (Lynx rufus), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), cougar (Puma concolor), margay (Leopardus wiedii), and jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) to predict environmental suitability (estimated by both Maxent and the distance to niche centroid, DNC). Suitability was then examined by relating to a capture rate‐based index, in a well‐monitored area in central western Mexico in order to assess their performance as proxies of relative abundance. Our results indicate that the environmental suitability patterns predicted by both algorithms were comparable. However, the strength of the relationship between the suitability and relative abundance of local populations differed across species and between algorithms, with the bobcat and DNC, respectively, having the best fit, although the relationship was not consistent in all the models. This paper presents the potential of implementing species distribution models in order to predict the relative abundance of wild felids in Mexico and offers guidance for the proper interpretation of the relationship between suitability and population abundance. The results obtained provide a robust information base on which to outline specific conservation actions and on which to examine the potential status of endangered species inhabiting remote or politically unstable territories in which on‐field monitoring programs are not feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)