{"id":104927,"date":"2022-11-28T17:04:13","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T16:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/?p=104927"},"modified":"2022-11-29T16:11:48","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T15:11:48","slug":"protecting-the-jaguar-the-largest-big-cat-in-the-americas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/en\/story\/protecting-the-jaguar-the-largest-big-cat-in-the-americas\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting the jaguar, the largest big cat in the Americas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The jaguar is one of the five big cats, alongside the tiger, lion, leopard, and snow leopard. Living in the tropical rainforests and wetlands of the Americas, the mighty jaguar is the largest cat species in the region.  <\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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For centuries, the jaguar has been revered as a symbol of power and strength by indigenous peoples and local communities. As a top predator, it also has an important role to play in the wider ecosystem by balancing the food chain and helping to control the populations of other species.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Headerfoto by Birger Strahl on Unsplash<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Deforestation and poaching threaten the jaguar<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Unfortunately, the jaguar population across the Americas keeps declining with scientists estimating there are only between 130,000 and 208,000 jaguars left in the wild. Their habitat keeps getting smaller because of deforestation and new infrastructure for urban development. This affects their ability to roam around freely, to find prey and to find a mate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The jaguar is also increasingly poached for its fangs, skin, bones and other body parts. In some cultures, the bones are thought to have medicinal benefits and the fangs are used for jewelry to signify social status. Seizure data shows a significant rise in jaguar trafficking since 2012, and we are starting to see that jaguar body parts and products are being sold more openly\u2014particularly on online platforms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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That is why, from 2019 to 2022, IUCN NL, Earth League International (ELI) and IFAW worked together on Operation Jaguar<\/a> to combat illegal trade in jaguars in Peru, Bolivia, Guyana and Suriname. The project was made possible with support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Watch the following video for an overview of our work as part of Operation Jaguar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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