Study of the jaguar population in the northeast portion of the Yucatan Peninsula , Mexico .

The Jaguar (Panthera onca), an ancient symbol of power, royalty and divinity in Mesoamerica, today faces a serious danger of extinction in Mexico, primarily due to habitat loss and poaching. In order to protect and conserve effectively this species, we need to know the status of the current population and its distribution, in order to implement the appropriate measures to save the Jaguar from extinction.

In 2003, PPY established an alliance with the Fort Worth Zoo (FWZ) and the Ecology Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (IE-UNAM) to implement the first ever study of jaguar populations in the northern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. With the support of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (through its Jaguar Species Survival Plan - www.jaguarssp.org ), 25 “trap cameras” were set up in the jungle in the period from February to July 2004. The cameras were located in the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve and its area of influence, covering approximately 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres).

The project team was supported by the people of the ejidos Nuevo León, El Limonar, Nuevo Tesoco, Santa María Pixoy and Nuevo Tekal. Some of its members were part of our field team, and worked very hard to make this project happening.

The private reserve El Zapotal (which PPY purchased in 2002) was the first place in the study zone where the trap cameras were set.

Objectives

The objectives of this project are

To take a preliminary census, and estimate the population density of jaguars;
To analyze how they use their habitat, and
To obtain a preliminary inventory of jaguar prey species in the southeast region of the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (RLBR), and its area of influence.

The fundamental reason behind this study is our conviction that a proper understanding of the ecology of the top predator of the Maya Jungle is the first basic step in designing effective wildlife corridors between protected areas.

Expectations

Our principal expectation are:

To identify important sites to be protected and conserved to foment the survival of a stable population of jaguars in the RLBR and its area of influence.

To establish a baseline for extending the population study of jaguars in the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula .

Results

The trap cameras were in the field placed from mid February to the end of November 2004. We obtained more than 180 photographs of more than 20 vertebrate species. Up to date, we have identified five individual jaguars (maybe 6), including three males that use the privately owned reserve El Zapotal. We also got images of margays (Leopardus wiedii) and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), both area endangered, as well as pumas (Felis concolor), occelated turkeys, peccaries, tayras, brocket deer, gray foxes, pacas and agouties.

The next step of this study is to analyze the collected data.