Panama jaguars on candid camera

CAMERA “TRAPS” recording the movements of Panama’s declining Jaguar population will be in place in early January, 2015, as part of a project to save the animals funded by the National Environmental Authority (ANAM)

The Americas largest cat, the jaguar (Panthera onca) is in danger of extinction due to deforestation, habitat destruction, poaching, hunting and predators
Researchers will be seeking information about the animal’s relative abundance and prey, and their spatial movement in five protected areas simultaneously.
The project “Capacity Building of Anam in support jaguar conservation plan in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor of the Panamanian Atlantic” plans the placement of 100 camera traps to estimate the relative abundance of the jaguar and other species that coexist with it in the Soberania National Park, Arraiján, The Gigante Peninsula, the Portobelo National Park, Nusagandi, in the Guna Yala region, and the Santa Fe National Park in the province of Veraguas.
There have been 227 known jaguar killings in Panama in the last 30 years, but the real figure could be higher than 500.
GPS (global positioning system) collars will be attached to three ocelots in the Soberania National Park to learn more of the cats’ movements in this area, close to communities where traffic flow predominates. The information will improve the design of biological corridors reports La Prensa
Panamanian biologist Ricardo Moreno of Panama Yaguará, said ” You cannot do science by doing science” because it would only be recording the disappearance of the species. It is also imperative to raise awareness about the importance of the jaguar and why conservation is necessary.
The big cats are predators at the top of the food chain because they control herbivore populations. If there are no jaguars and other cats, the population of herbivores increase too They massively consume seeds and plants and this would change the composition of the forest. vital to maintaining the quantity and quality of water in rivers and streams that supply water supply for human consumption, and to sectors such as agriculture.
“Ensuring jaguar conservation in Panama requires sustained large-scale effort that cannot be performed in isolation but with the participation of government and all sectors of society, and especially the private sector,” says Moreno.
The biologist who is leading the project, points to the proposed conservation actions agreed between the different stakeholders through training workshops, which include topics on antipredatory measures and best use of farms to try to minimize conflict with jaguars, as well as a communication strategy, environmental education and outreach.
The first workshop was held in in Santa Fe de Veraguas. last week. Others will be on January 6 in Arraiján, and later in Nusagandi and Chepo.