At the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, animal conservation was one of the main talking points. Across the two-week conference — Oct. 21 to Nov. 1 — multiple international leaders raised awareness about biodiversity issues and how humanity can fix them before we lose more species to extinction. One of those includes South America’s majestic big cat, the jaguar.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the facilitator of New York City’s four biggest zoos and one aquarium, attended COP16 with this goal. A news release shared with The Business Download explained that 50% of the jaguar species distribution has been lost to deforestation and urbanization.
“Colombia has a rich history of jaguar culture, from adoration by pre-Hispanic cultures, to fashion symbols decades ago, to actual conservation icons,” Dr. Esteban Payán, the senior species lead of WCS’s Big Cat Program, said in a statement.
“But, after COP16 is over, they will continue to be killed and their habitats cut down.”
“Today, we have the opportunity to create the necessary change — we cannot continue with business as usual if we want to conserve jaguars and all biodiversity.”
Photo Courtesy USFWS
According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), there are about 173,000 jaguars left in the wild. That’s a pretty large number, but it used to be higher. They can be found in 19 countries, with a species distribution from the southwestern U.S. to Brazilian rainforests to Argentina’s dry, mountainous areas. Their habitat has also declined by 20% since 2000.
Poaching is also a major issue, as hunters target them as trophies and for black-market body part trade. Some cattle farmers have also killed them for eating livestock. They are not endangered but are listed as near threatened by the IUCN.
Most American jaguars are located between the Arizona-Mexico border. In May, the USFWS removed protection status for about 65,000 acres of Arizona land that had been jaguar conservation areas for the last 10 years. Most are dispersed from Mexico, and the USFWS said jaguar breeding in the U.S. hasn’t been documented for more than 100 years. However, the agency’s decision represents what WCS is fighting for in Colombia.
Jaguars are more than just pretty animals. Mesoamerican civilizations placed spiritual importance on them.
The Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs believed the animal had special powers. The Olmecs even believed the union of a jaguar and a woman created their society.
Mayan and Aztec art and religion featured the big cat prominently. Jaguars were viewed as a symbol of political and military power. Mexico celebrates the Month of the Jaguar in November, an arts festival celebrating the jaguar. The big cat conservation firm Panthera sponsors it.
Photo Courtesy Charles J. Sharp
To save the jaguar, WCS announced support for the Jaguar 2030 roadmap, a multi-institutional plan to ensure the population endures and grows by 2030.
The plan focuses mainly on Latin America. The idea is to connect non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and private sector initiatives to protect jaguars and their land. That might include having more poaching patrols in the Amazon. The 2030 roadmap lays out how to fund these efforts.
WCS also believes jaguars and humans need to coexist better. “Jaguars must traverse and be able to live in unprotected areas dominated by humans,” the firm wrote in its news release about jaguar conservation at COP16. The organization encouraged more Indigenous people and local community participation in conservation and national jaguar monitoring programs, and implementing these on a larger scale.
“The CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia, is important for the future of jaguars,” Payán expressed in a statement. “This magnificent spotted neotropical big cat has already lost more than 50% of its original distribution and the trend in the species’ populations continues to decline. Thus, a significant change must occur to conserve them for the long term.”
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