'Cloud jaguars' are rare, gorgeous animals who live in high-altitude, mountainous regions in the Americas, including in Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico. In most of their habitats, they're classified as
endangered or even critically endangered. In fact, in the Sierra del Merendón mountains in Honduras, no one has seen proof of a cloud jaguar in over 10 years.
Now, however, research cameras sprinkled throughout the mountains have shown exciting news:
a return of cloud jaguars to the Honduran mountains!Conservation works! This is the result of well thought-out, intentional conservation efforts and collaboration between many Latin American countries. Sign the petition to celebrate this win and urge these countries to continue their successful conservation projects!Like many other species around the globe, cloud jaguars have been up against significant existential threats, especially deforestation and poaching.
Their habitat has shrunk by nearly 50%, often because of agricultural operations tearing down forests to create farmlands.
Meanwhile, poaching has hurt the jaguars' food supply, with key species they rely on being steadily hunted away. That includes various deers, iguana, and the pig-like peccary. This shows us the deep interconnectivity of ecosystems: if one animal is hunted or poached, another entirely different animal can be severely impacted.
Luckily, many countries in the Americas have joined together to reverse this trend. Recognizing the importance of jaguars and other wildlife,
they have created a wildlife corridor from the southern tip of South America in Argentina, all the way up to Mexico. Other conservation efforts have included improved cooperation with Indigenous tribes, enforcing bans on poaching, and introducing regulations on logging and habitat destruction.
This incredible collaboration is already working wonders. In Mexico, researchers found a 10% increase in the number of wild jaguars there. And now, in Honduras, researchers have spotted
the very first cloud jaguar to return to the Sierra del Merendón mountain range. This is in addition to new sightings of other wild cats, like pumas, ocelots, jaguarundis, and margays!
Obviously the collaborative work between governments, non-profits, and Indigenous tribes to protect cloud jaguars and other wildlife in Latin America is working! Sign the petition to urge them not to simply call 'victory' yet, but to continue with this fantastic trend! 