Jaguar Research Center - Our Research

Our research involves mostly analysis of the unique spot patterns on individual Jaguars, which allows us to identify individual cats when we resight and rephotograph them on different locations along the riverbanks and beaches. For instance, one cat photographed on 29 August 2007 was then rephotographed on 10 October 2007 at a point 1 km from the first sighting. On 10 Oct, she had three very large cubs with her, which means she must have had them hidden in the forest the first time we saw her. As we photograph more and more Jaguars (we have thousands of photos now), we are building up a spot-pattern data-base that allows us to map the habitat use by different cats and estimate the total size of the Jaguar population in the enormous state park.

We are opposed to the use of radio collars on the Jaguars of our region, as the animals are so very tame and easy to observe that simple photo analysis of spot patterns should yield more than enough information for the first few years at least. The procedure of darting the cats can be dangerous, and the cats can suffer from the collars themselves. We feel that our Jaguars are so uniquely easy to see that risking their health by drugging and collaring is not warranted at this stage. Also, collars are ugly and would ruin the photographic potential of the cats, which would then slow the growth of sustainable tourism in the world’s first and only location to see wild Jaguars.