IN 2010, Grando Ceballos and a group of other researchers set out to answer a burning question: How many Jaguars in Mexico? They knew that there was not much. Fishing, habitat loss, conflict with livestock breeders and other issues prompted the population to the brink of extinction.
Ceballos and his team from the National Alliance to Conservation of Jaguar (ANCJ) believed that there may have been 1000 Jaguar throughout the country. They decided to hold the first animal census in the country to find out exactly. They found 4100.
“It was a big surprise, great news,” said Ceballos. “It is clear that 4000 means that the species are still at risk of extinction, but 4000 is much better than 1000.”
Quickly forward 15 years and the news has become better. The last census of the group found that in 2024 there was 5326 Jaguars in Mexico, an increase of 30 % compared to 2010.
“The fact that the country has managed to maintain its inhabitants and increase over the past 14 years,” Ciblos said. “For me, it’s a great news for the country. Mexico and the world need good news.”
90 days have been statistics over 15 states, using 920 cameras to pick up movement and involve approximately 50 researchers in addition to local community leaders. The researchers looked at an area of 414,000 hectares, making it the largest census of any mammals in Mexico.
Jaguars was found throughout the country, with the largest number in the Yukatan Peninsula (1,699), followed by the South Pacific region (1541), northeast and central Mexico (813), North Pacific (733) and a coast of the Pacific (540).
Cebalos attributes three main factors to increase the population: maintaining natural protected areas where Jaguars can roam freely, reducing the conflict between livestock breeders and Jaguar, and a propaganda campaign that placed jaguar on the map.
“Before we started, Jaguar was almost unknown,” said Sebalos. “Now is one of the most popular species” in Mexico.
However, at the current population rate, it will take from 25 to 30 years so that Jaguar is not considered at risk of extinction in Mexico. Ceballos and his team aim to reduce that time to only 15 years.
There are many challenges on their way. Forest removal and habitat is still a major issue: Mexico has lost 600,000 hectares of forests and forests in the past six years. On the Yousan Peninsula alone, the country loses 60,000 hectares of forests and forests every year, which greatly reduces the areas where Jaguar can live and hunt.
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“On the one hand, it is a farce,” said Ceballos. “But on the other hand, this means that where there is We are Forests, forests, and population are still growing. “
Cebalos said that there was also a flour on the Internet for the teeth of jaguar, skin and claws, among other parts of the body. He hopes to work with social media companies to market these products.
Building new highways is a continuous challenge. It is not only the bombing of Jaguar lands, but they increase the risk of animal running. This can be mitigated by building specific points as animals such as jaguars can safely cross them.
There is a constant struggle with livestock breeders, and the spread of diseases of domesticated animals also threatens Jaguar residents.
Cibalos said that there is a greater financial commitment to preserve the federal government, as well as support from the private sector, from scientists and landowners to protect the areas where Jaguar may live, if they want to achieve their goal.
“We are winning a battle in a waring war. But it is a very important battle,” he said. “It gives us hope that if we clarify the right policies, we can achieve great results.”