Animal Life - Jaguar Day

 

From Mexico down to Argentina, jaguars are the only big cat to live in South America.  Their size varies though, with those in Central America being smaller than those in the Amazon.  

Jaguars are currently listed as "near threatened," per WWF.  They are experiencing habitat destruction and fragmentation, shrinking their range and isolating populations from one another.  They have gone extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay.

These cats play an important role in maintaining the structure and function of the ecosystems they reside in.  As top predators, they help keep a balance in the food chain, and they will eat just about anything in their path.  Deer, peccaries, tapirs, iguanas, capybaras, armadillos, and monkeys are among their favorites.

Their teeth and bite are strong enough to pierce through crocodile hides and turtle shells. 

In 2020, WWF launched its Regional Jaguar Strategy, with a goal to stabilize and increase the populations, prey base, habitat, and connectivity by 2030.  Fifteen priority landscapes aim to secure jaguar strongholds.  They work with local communities to monitor, manage conflict, and contribute to improved management.  

Similar, but you can see the jaguar print has spots within the rosette-like pattern.