Researchers make stunning discovery after sightings of critically endangered animal: 'This shift is particularly concerning'
A lone jaguar roaming the forests of northwest Ecuador was responsible for the species' first appearance in two separate areas in years.
Panthera onca had not been seen in the Río Manduriacu Reserve in seven years or in the Junín Community Forest in 15 years, Mongabay reported. Two camera trap surveys produced video and photographs of the big cat in November 2023 and January 2024.
The findings, along with the simultaneous presence of an Andean bear, were revealed in Neotropical Biology and Conservation in November. The Central University of Ecuador, Andean Condor Foundation, and EcoMinga Foundation were responsible for the first sighting. The Defense and Ecological Conservation of Intag and Ecoforensics recorded the second, which took place in a mining concession.
The researchers compared notes and came to the conclusion that the same jaguar had traveled for almost two months through the forests and "human-altered zones," per the study, to be captured by both camera traps. Lowland habitat loss is forcing the species to seek new territory at higher elevations.
"This shift is particularly concerning for the Critically Endangered western population of jaguars, which faces greater threats compared to the eastern population," Javier Torres, study co-author and UCE professor, told Mongabay in an email.
Other wildcats have been similarly documented, allowing scientists to learn more about them and create conservation programs that help them thrive.
In March 2023, miners were forced out of part of Junín by a court order. The researchers wrote that this could have encouraged the individual jaguar to return to an area it may have previously avoided because of human activity.
The creature is also thought to be responsible for a nearby livestock attack, which occurred between the two camera trap sightings.
"In this sense, while the presence of jaguars in areas where they were previously considered absent is a positive sign of biodiversity, it underscores the importance of addressing human-wildlife conflicts and other threats like mining activities and habitat fragmentation," Torres wrote.
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The researchers will continue to monitor both forests to improve their understanding of the beings that live there and how they coexist. They said local populations should be educated about the environment, "especially since jaguars are among the species most targeted in retaliatory killings in the Americas," according to Mongabay.
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