Panama Commemorates International Jaguar Day

As part of International Jaguar Day, Panama celebrated the closing of the outreach tour on the National Census of the Jaguar and Terrestrial Mammals, which covered various regions of the country, including Panama, Colon, Guna Yala, East Panama and Darien.

The census revealed a preliminary estimate of 271 jaguars distributed across 38% of the national territory, covering 2,876,915 hectares. During the 30 field expeditions, 794 camera traps were installed at 355 stations, which allowed obtaining valuable data on the distribution and behavior of these wild cats.

“Informing communities in the eastern region of Panama about the estimated number of jaguars and the abundance of other species that inhabit their environment is a great scientific achievement and extraordinary news that deserves to be shared. This outreach effort not only highlights the relevance of this discovery, but also invites all people in Panama who also have conflict with jaguars to learn about the opportunities that exist to reduce the conflict between people and the species by taking into account anti-predation measures and improving farm productivity,” said Ricardo Moreno, president of the Yaguará Panama Foundation.

The outreach tour included activities in key locations such as Portobelo National Park, Chagres National Park and the Darién, and brought together local communities, ranchers, park rangers, public institutions and scientists. Spaces for dialogue were promoted to share knowledge on the use of technologies such as camera traps and telemetry, as well as biological monitoring methodologies.

Conservation experts such as Antonio de La Torre highlighted the importance of Panama as a vital bridge for the genetic connectivity of the jaguar, especially in the Darien region. This biological corridor reinforces the country’s key role in the conservation of the species, vital for the ecological stability of the continent.