The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest, most powerful feline in the Guianas and the third largest feline in the world. The jaguar is known for having the most powerful jaw of all the big cats including the powerful lion and tiger. The physical appearance of jaguars can often be confused with that of leopards, which live in parts of Africa and Asia. One way to tell the difference is by the jaguar’s complex spots on their fur which often has a dot in the centre.
Jaguars are usually a solitary species and prefer to live in tropical and subtropical moist forest, along water ways, and wooded regions with plenty of cover. Jaguars are excellent swimmers and can move amazingly fast in the water when chasing prey. Jaguars are carnivores preferably hunting at night. They feed on deer, peccaries, capybaras, tapirs, and several other animals in the jungle. They also hunt fish, turtles, and even caimans, using their powerful jaws to pierce the animals’ skulls.
WWF collaborates with academia (ADeKUS) and NGOs (ACT, NeoWild) to work towards the development of a National Jaguar Strategy.
This has led to the development of a National Jaguar monitoring survey project that will be executed in 6 pilot sites across the jaguar corridor in Suriname. It is expected that this monitoring survey will be the first of its kind in Suriname bringing together local experts, using a common methodology and approach.
The survey will provide baseline data to be used to inform a national Jaguar strategy and advocacy efforts for more protected areas and regulations for jaguar preservations The national jaguar monitoring promotes the participation of local communities where we have been able to receive formal agreement from the communities located in the Deep South (Curuni and Sipaliwini). These communities are most critical for the pilot implementation phase of the project.
Engaging local and Indigenous communities to protect the jaguars.
WWF-Guianas and the Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname (FVAS) worked with children at ten schools in Suriname to create more awareness on the threats for jaguars.