Jaguars of the Puuc Region of Yucatán
The first pictures
It is late July. The team of Puuc Jaguar Conservation is back in the field. The sun stings and the humidity converts the air into a dense, heavy blanket seemingly squeezing the air out of the lungs of anyone foolish enough to brave the elements. Finally, the group of Millsaps College students, staff, and director of the project, reaches camera trap C6.2.
This station is located in the eastern portion of the Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve in mature forest and on an old trail. I ask Don Evelio just how old the trail is. To my surprise he estimates that this trail was the main path to Oxkutzcab for at least 100 years! I check the camera on the north side of the trail. A few pictures of bunnies and coatimundies is all we have caught. Without great expectations, I check the pictures on the other southern camera. A picture of a puma! Great! Wait…what…A JAGUAR!!! Goosebumps form on my skin and a cold shudder runs down my spine which, given the heat and humidity, is strangely invigorating.
The jaguar appears to be a young individual running through the forest in the early evening. The image is somewhat blurry due to the optical limitations of the infrared flash and a heavy tropical downpour. Driven by the uncomfortable conditions, the jaguar seems to be looking for refuge. This jaguar is different from an individual we captured on camera a couple of weeks earlier. This majestic feline has the marked squarish head of a powerful male. The jaws are imposing, terrifying: adjusting for smaller body size, the jaguar has the strongest bite of all felines. Large turtles and even six-foot caimans are not safe from this true “king of the jungle.”
We had several surprises during this field season. About 75% of all camera stations had pumas. No other researchers on the peninsula we have talked to have ever had that many puma pictures! In addition, we had at least four ocelots, one with offspring! We were able to capture two yaguaroundis, small primarily arboreal cats that are most closely related to pumas. These small felines come in at least two color morphs: a dark, nearly black one and a reddish brown one. We have pictures of both! Last, but not least, we got a single margay, a spotted feline the size of a house cat. It is not surprising to have few pictures of margays, for they, like yaguaroundies, are mostly arboreal. To our delight, we have pictures of all Yucatecan wild cats!
We are still studying hundreds of pictures from this first field season. We have pictures and videos of many of the jaguar’s prey species and other interesting animals: anteaters, armadillos, eastern cottontails, pecaris, brocket deer, white-tailed deer, Ocellated Turkies, Thicket Tinamous, black iguanas, Carribean Doves, a rainbow ameiva (a lizard), and many more.
Do you want to see the rest of the newsletter and the first two newsletters? Please send an e-mail to puucjaguar@gmail.com.
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