Editor’s note: Last week, the description of a “new” cat species from Bolivia made headlines around the world. The tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), a small spotted cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests, was described as the first new living cat species discovered in more than a century. Unlike several cats recognized as new species in recent […]
Tag: jaguar
It is the largest, most formidable, cat in the Americas and one of the world’s most powerful predators, able to bite straight through the skull of its prey
In our expert jaguar guide learn all about these spectacular bigs cats, including how to identify each species, their diet and best places to see them in their natural habitat, plus conservation work. How many different species of jaguar are there? Found in the Americas, the jaguar is an endangered species with ongoing conservation work […]
Can harpy eagles attack humans? Amazon case rekindles scientific debate
In a remote area of French Guiana, a 29-year-old woman was attacked by a harpy, considered the world’s largest eagle, in October 2023. In an area with extensive tracts of preserved forest, such interactions between humans and wildlife are extremely rare but garner widespread media attention and scientific interest. A recently published study highlighted this […]
Honduran authorities seize jaguar kept as pet, put spotlight on local trafficking
Authorities in Honduras have seized a jaguar kept as a pet by a businessman, in a high-profile raid that conservationists say should serve as a deterrent for others engaged in wildlife trafficking. The May 6 raid at a home in Olancho department, in the country’s east, was two weeks in the planning and the first […]
Is it an otter or a cat? Long-bodied, short-legged and weasel-headed, this is one of the most bizarre felines on the planet
The jaguarundi is one of the strangest-looking cats in the Americas. Long-bodied, short-legged and sleek, it has more than a hint of otter or weasel about it, which explains why it is sometimes called the otter cat. Yet this elusive hunter is very much a felid, and a close relative of the puma. Found from […]
This monkey has dagger-like teeth and the bite strength of a jaguar. Combined, it’s one of the Amazon’s most powerful tools
The red-nosed cuxiu (Chiropotes albinasus) is a terrier-sized monkey whose diet is dominated by the unripe seeds of super-hard fruits. While you or I would need a hammer to access them, the cuxiu brings its own toolkit; enormous dagger-like canines, mounted on robust jaws and powered by massive jaw muscles. Combined, these give the glossy-black […]
Climate negotiations must begin to prioritize conservation of wetlands like Brazil’s Pantanal (commentary)
A year ago, deep in the heart of the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, the lifeless body of Gaia, a jaguar known and loved by conservationists, was found charred by fire. Gaia had been monitored for years by Onçafari (a nonprofit founded by co-author Mario Haberfeld, which works to protect jaguars in the region […]
Ecological crisis in Brazil’s Pantanal fuels human-jaguar conflict
Roberto Carlos Conceição Arruda recalls the moment in 2002 when an ordinary morning routine took a harrowing turn. It was around 8 a.m., in the remote mountainous region of Serra do Amolar in Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul state, and Arruda, better known as Beto, then 29 years old, had left his house to fetch […]