JAGUAR BIBLIOGRAPHY
Compiled by C. Inskip & A. Zimmermann, Chester Zoo (UK) |
- Title:
- Jaguar Conservation Program. Jaguar Conservation in the Colombian Llanos: presence, local perceptions and the livestock conflict.
- Year Published:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Payan, E.
- Abstract:
- Jaguars (Panthera onca) still remain as a considerable population in the Llanos of Colombia,some 4,000 individuals, although poorly protected. The strongest long term conservation unit is
the Tuparro NP, but this park only covers 2% of the Llanos ecosystem and associated to this the project identified especially valuable areas and marked them as Priority Areas for Jaguar Conservation (PAJC) in the llanos ecosystem. The threats to jaguar survival in order of
maximum to minimum impact are: hunting of jaguars, hunting of jaguar prey and habitat degradation. Jaguars have a very strong depredation impact on pigs, and many ranches have lost their entire pig herd to jaguars. This is a difficult phenomenon to manage since pigs are
reared semi-wild and so ranchers consider that pig rearing is ‚Äö?Ñ??free‚Äö?Ñ??. Hence, any management
action to limit losses would imply time and/or money invested by the ranchers and pig rearing will no longer be free. Cattle are the following most affected species by jaguar depredation
which represent 21% of the causes of death. Nevertheless, depredation is not the main cause of death for cattle nor is mentioned as a problem obstructing successful cattle rearing by the ranchers. It is clear from measurements from the jaguar attack site that these predators hunt livestock in paddocks that are close to forest edge, associated to water courses (and thus
riparian forest) and that lay far from the homesteads. The impact of jaguar depredation cattle per ranch never exceeded 5% of the standing stock. Many people living in the area do not have access or money or both to obtain cattle meat and must resort to hunting, and thus reducing
wild prey availability for predators and reinforces the depredation conflict. Jaguars are admired as beautiful and strong animals and local people like to have them in their ecosystem and their
land, as long as they do not predate on their livestock. Jaguar hunting is estimated to of around 0.4 jaguars per 100 km2 per year. Rancher‚Äö?Ñ?¥s attitudes to jaguars and possible management
alternatives to coexistence are very limited since the ranches involved are very poor. Cattle ranchers show strong intolerance to losses caused by jaguars, because depredation impact is
highly significant upon already unprofitable cattle ranching. Poor managed ranches show the most impact from depredation by jaguars. Poor acid soils, lack of technology, extreme drought
and flood dynamics and lack of connectivity to markets are the causes for this low yield. This in turn forces cattle production systems to be extensive and to rear stock in a semi-wild manner
making them vulnerable to depredation, and decreasing the viability of implementing antipredatory management strategies in these vast areas, such as electric fencing of paddocks and/or rounding up stock every night. The Vichada is being increasingly affected by illegal groups in conflict, which in turn intensify the pressure on regional natural resources. The characteristics of these lands create an opportunity for conservation actions, since they are largely inadequate for cattle ranching and agriculture practices, they are ideal to be converted into PA‚Äö?Ñ?¥s.
- Journal:
- 2005 Annual Report. Unpublished Report. Wildlife Conservation Society, USA.
- Web Link:
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- PDF:
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