We protect and monitor the Jaguar, the super predator that inhabits La Papalota farm in the Nayarit jungle.
At the break of the 21st Century, the inhabitants of Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit, were surprised by an unusual piece of news. The Vallarta Chan family, owners of Finca La Papalota, announced the sighting of Jaguar (Panthera onca) footprints within their land. This strongly attracted the attention of conservation experts, since the jaguar is a typical super predator of southeastern Mexico, infrequent in mountainous areas of the center of the country. Until then, it had never been seen in this area of Nayarit.
Immediately, the Vallarta Chan family understood the importance of this finding, and gave a clear example of their environmental commitment by giving priority to the care of Jaguar in their farm. In 2008 they decided to turn La Papalota into a Voluntary Conservation Area (ADVC), to ensure the care and conservation work of the jaguars living in the place. From that moment on, we as Pronatura Noroeste study and care for the survival of these jaguars.
Our collaboration with La Papalota began in coordination with the management of the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve, which was later joined by the Autonomous University of Nayarit, and the non-profit group Jaguares Sin Protección. The latter, together with the La Papalota farm itself and the support of Pronatura Noroeste, set up the first camera traps to document the presence of the jaguar and other animals.
Setting the camaras were a crucial first step. However, capturing jaguars in the wild is not an easy task. Despite being a large animal (it is the third largest feline in the world, surpassed only by the tiger and the lion), it is clever, elusive and rarely seen. Finding them in their habitat is an enormous challenge, as they spend most of their lives alone, with a density of 2 to 4 individuals per 100 square kilometers.
