Researchers make stunning discovery after sightings of critically endangered animal: 'This shift is particularly concerning'
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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San Francisco Chronicle
06-08-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Burnt offerings, whispering to mountains: Inside Bolivians' rituals for Mother Earth
LA CUMBRE, Bolivia (AP) — Neyza Hurtado was 3 years old when she was struck by lightning. Forty years later, sitting next to a bonfire on a 13,700-foot (4,175-meter) mountain, her scarred forehead makes her proud. 'I am the lightning,' she said. 'When it hit me, I became wise and a seer. That's what we masters are.' Hundreds of people in Bolivia hire Andean spiritual guides like Hurtado to perform rituals every August, the month of 'Pachamama,' or Mother Earth, according to the worldview of the Aymara, an Indigenous people of the region. Pachamama's devotees believe that she awakens hungry and thirsty after the dry season. To honor her and express gratitude for her blessings, they make offerings at home, in their crop fields and on the peaks of Bolivian mountains. 'We come here every August to follow in the footsteps of our elders,' said Santos Monasterios, who hired Hurtado for a Pachamama ritual on a site called La Cumbre, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the capital city of La Paz. 'We ask for good health and work.' Honoring Mother Earth Offerings made to Pachamama are known as 'mesitas' (or 'little tables'). Depending on each family's wishes, masters like Hurtado prepare one mesita per family or per person. Mesitas are made of wooden logs. On top of them, each master places sweets, grains, coca leaves and small objects representing wealth, protection and good health. Occasionally, llama or piglet fetuses are also offered. Once the mesita is ready, the spiritual guide sets it on fire and devotees douse their offerings with wine or beer, to quench Pachamama's thirst. 'When you make this ritual, you feel relieved,' Monasterios said. 'I believe in this, so I will keep sharing a drink with Pachamama.' It can take up to three hours for a mesita to burn. Once the offerings have turned to ash, the devotees gather and solemnly bury the remains to become one with Mother Earth. Why Bolivians make offerings to Pachamama Carla Chumacero, who travelled to La Cumbre last week with her parents and a sister, requested four mesitas from her longtime spiritual guide. 'Mother Earth demands this from us, so we provide,' the 28-year-old said. According to Chumacero, how they become aware of Pachamama's needs is hard to explain. 'We just know it; it's a feeling,' she said. 'Many people go through a lot — accidents, trouble within families — and that's when we realize that we need to present her with something, because she has given us so much and she can take it back.' María Ceballos, 34, did not inherit her devotion from her family, but from co-workers at the gold mine where she earns a living. 'We make offerings because our work is risky,' Ceballos said. 'We use heavy machinery and we travel often, so we entrust ourselves to Pachamama.' A ritual rooted in time and climate The exact origin of the Pachamama rituals is difficult to determine, but according to Bolivian anthropologist Milton Eyzaguirre, they are an ancestral tradition dating back to 6,000 B.C. As the first South American settlers came into the region, they faced soil and climate conditions that differed from those in the northernmost parts of the planet, where winter begins in December. In Bolivia, as in other Southern Hemisphere countries, winter runs from June to September. 'Here, the cold weather is rather dry,' Eyzaguirre said. 'Based on that, there is a particular behavior in relation to Pachamama.' Mother Earth is believed to be asleep throughout August. Her devotees wish for her to regain her strength and bolster their sowing, which usually begins in October and November. A few months later, when the crops are harvested in February, further rituals are performed. 'These dates are key because it's when the relationship between humans and Pachamama is reactivated,' Eyzaguirre said. 'Elsewhere it might be believed that the land is a consumer good,' he added. 'But here there's an equilibrium: You have to treat Pachamama because she will provide for you.' Bolivians' connection to their land August rituals honor not only Pachamama, but also the mountains or 'apus,' considered protective spirits for the Aymara and Quechua people. 'Under the Andean perspective, all elements of nature have a soul,' Eyzaguirre said. 'We call that 'Ajayu,' which means they have a spiritual component.' For many Bolivians, wind, fire, and water are considered spirits, and the apus are perceived as ancestors. This is why many cemeteries are located in the highlands and why Pachamama rituals are performed at sites like La Cumbre. 'The apus protect us and keep an eye on us,' said Rosendo Choque, who has been a spiritual guide or 'yatiri' for 40 years. He, like Hurtado, said that only a few select people can do they job. Before becoming masters, it is essential that they acquire special skills and ask Pachamama's permission to perform rituals in her honor. 'I acquired my knowledge little by little,' Choque said. 'But I now have the permission to do this job and coca leaves speak to me.' Hurtado said she mostly inherited her knowledge from her grandmother, who was also a yatiri and witnessed how she survived the lightning strike. 'For me, she is the holiest person, the one who made me what I am,' Hurtado said. She said she finds comfort in helping her clients secure a good future, but her close relationship with Pachamama brings her the deepest joy. 'We respect her because she is Mother Earth,' Hurtado said. 'We live in her.'
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Scientists issue warning after detecting shift in rare predator's hunting habits: 'Likely to happen to humans too'
Scientists issue warning after detecting shift in rare predator's hunting habits: 'Likely to happen to humans too' Land development and habitat loss have driven fishing cats in Thailand to near extinction, per Mongabay. To survive, they've been living closer to humans. But how has that affected their species? What's happening? The International Union for Conservation of Nature has marked fishing cats as vulnerable to extinction, according to Mongabay. Traditionally, fishing cats have lived and hunted in marshlands. However, human activity has forced them out of their natural habitats. They've consequently turned to agricultural and aquacultural developments for stable food sources, like fish, rodents, and insects. Unfortunately, they've also eaten people's chickens, leading to a hostile relationship with local farmers, who have killed them in retaliation. Conservationists are trying to change the narrative, pointing out fishing cats' affinity for pest control. While this has helped prevent violence against the cats, the species still has low genetic diversity. And that's not all — scientists have also discovered microplastics in their bodies. "Fishing cats and people occupy the same ecological role of top predator," Rattapan Pattanarangsan, a program manager at a wild cat conservation organization, told Mongabay. "So, what happens to fishing cats is likely to happen to humans too." Why does the fishing cat's decline matter? As far as humans are concerned, take a look at fishing cats' diets. The discovery of microplastics in their digestive systems doesn't bode well for ours. Studies have found that microplastics are the most abundant pollutants in the oceans, being consumed by fish and making their way up the food chain to top predators. Research indicates that microplastics have huge health consequences, damaging your kidneys, heart, and reproductive system. So far, no one knows exactly what this is doing to fishing cats. But it doesn't bode well. Like Pattanarangsan said, fishing cats are apex predators. This is a crucial role in any ecosystem. When apex predators die out, prey populations spiral out of control. Let's use another apex predator as an example. According to BBC Wildlife, the hunting of grey wolves at Yellowstone National Park set off a chain reaction: elk populations increased, overgrazed on trees, and caused the local beaver population's sharp decline. Do you think we should be trying to pull pollution out of the atmosphere? Absolutely I need to know more In some situations No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The fishing cats are no different. Like all animals, they're part of a complex, delicate web. When a species goes extinct, it can have dire consequences for another. What's being done about it? In Thailand, fishing cats are becoming a kind of national mascot. Teacher Supoj Sukapat is leading youth conservation initiatives in which students learn about marshlands and the importance of fishing cats. He told Mongabay that kids are going home and telling their parents not to harm the cats. Killing fishing cats is also a no-go in Thailand, and those who break the law are subject to heavy fines and/or imprisonment. If you'd like to help the fishing cats on an individual level, consider donating to causes that directly work with wild cats. Other takeaways from this story include the importance of discussing environmental issues with your family and friends and doing what you can to limit plastic pollution. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
24-07-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Plump' creature discovered in cloud forests of Ecuadorian Andes is new species
In the humid cloud forests of the Ecuadorian Andes — a dramatic landscape where enormous wax palms tower over moss-laden ground, and epiphytes, or plants that grow on other plants, appear to 'cover every surface'— researchers came upon a small creature perched on a fallen tree. 'Plump' and warty with a round body and short limbs, researchers have now confirmed the animal they encountered in the northern foothills of Cerro Candelaria Reserve is a new species of toad, according to a study published July 23 in the journal PeerJ. Osornophryne backshalli, or the Steve Backshall's Andean toad, is the first new species of the Osornophryne genus discovered in the last 14 years and the only one to exist south of the Rio Pastaza, representing a 'significant range extension,' researchers said. According to the study, fewer than six Steve Backshall's Andean toads have been discovered over the last 16 years, despite multiple surveys focused solely on documenting amphibians in the Cerro Candelaria region where it was discovered. This scarcity suggestions 'the species is relatively rare and has a low population density,' researchers said. All specimens were found at night among the leaf litter on the forest except for the first two, which were discovered perched on a tree trunk and a branch, according to the study. The new species is 'easily recognized by its brown coloration with yellow blotches on the belly,' distinct warts covering its body, and a 'short fifth toe,' all of which distinguish it from other known species in the genus, according to a news release from researchers. The new species was named in honor of explorer and television presenter Steve Backshall whose work has 'contributed directly to the conservation of the Corredor de Conectividad Llanganates-Sangay, the habitat of this particular species and many others,' researchers said. Experts said Cerro Candelaria Reserve was recently designated as a Protected Area within Ecuador's National System of Protected Areas. 'Efforts are now underway to incorporate new sections into the reserve, allowing it to be reclassified as a Wildlife Refuge,' researchers said. The research team included Juan P. Reyes-Puig, Miguel A. Urgiles-Merchán, H. Mauricio Ortega-Andrade, Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia, Julio C. Carrión-Olmedo and Mario H. Yáñez-Muñoz.
