Jaguar, Ocelot, Puma: how long can they survive?

Wildcats in the Esquinas Forest and the Osa Peninsula are extremely threatened. The population of jaguars , pumas and ocelots has been so strongly decimated by illegal hunters and fur traders that they are on the verge of extinction. Hunters have killed so many peccaries and other animals that it is hard for wildcats to survive due to lack of sufficient prey. Wildcats wander from Corcovado to Esquinas and must pass through the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve, where they often leave the rainforest to prey on pigs, cows and other domestic animals. This makes the land owners angry, and they try to kill the wildcats. One jaguar recently even killed three hunting dogs, and  the hunters are seeking revenge and stalking down the jaguar. Since 60 square-mile Piedras Blancas National Park has only 14 park wardens, it is difficult to chase and catch poachers.

Camera trap photo of an ocelot in the Rainforest of the Austrians
Thie first jaguar ever to be captured on camera in the Rainforest of the Austrians: Valle Bonito, April 30th 2010
A puma on the Fila Trail near Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, May 16th 2010

Yaguará Wildcat Conservation Program

Aida Bustamente with anasthetizized ocelot

Two young and enthusiastic biologists,  Aida Bustamante und Ricardo Moreno, founded the Yaguará Wildcat Conservation Program in 2006 to study the wildcat population in the Osa Conservation Area. Their goal is to protect the present population of wildcats through specific measures: camera traps, radio telemetry, GPS-collars for jaguars and white-lipped peccaries, environmental education, resolution of conflicts between humans and wildcats, collection of scientific information about wildcats and their prey. Yaguarás work is financed through the sale of T-shirts and through donations from NGOs and local lodges.

Compensation to land owners

After being equipped with radio collars, the cats are released

Aida und Ricardo have developed a promising strategy for comensation payments to land owners. When a domestic animal is killed by a wildcat, the owner must report this to the park authorities. As soon as it is confirmed that the animal was killed by a wildcat, the owner receives compensation in the amount of the market value of the animal and commits himself to cooperating with Yaguará. Camera traps are installed on the farms and in the surrounding forest, and the land owners are requested to report any sightings of wildcats and maintain the camera traps. Aida and Ricardo are  involved in an ongoing dialogue with poachers and have convinced many former hunters to help protecting the wildcats instead of killing them. Rainforest of the Austrians has donated $25,000 to the Yaguará Program for the purchase of camera traps and GPS-collars as well as for compensation to land owners. 

For more information about Yaguará, visit their website: www.yaguara.org.