Rewilding: Jaguars return to Argentina’s wetlands 70 years after local extinction

Rewilding efforts are returning jaguars, the largest predator in South America, to areas where the species has been driven to local extinction due to hunting and habitat loss. In Argentina, just 200 Jaguars remain, but a reintroduction programme has returned a mother and two cubs to the country’s Iberá wetlands, 70 years after the species was last observed in the region. They are the first of nine jaguars which will be released to repopulate the wetlands, which are a protected area covering almost 700,000 hectares and offering an abundance of wild prey for the big cats. Jaguars are a “keystone species” - an organism vital for the continuation of the local ecosystem - as they control levels of prey which would otherwise overgraze habitats, reducing biodiversity. It is hoped their presence will help wildlife in the wetlands flourish. The adult jaguar, named Mariua by researchers, was born wild before being rescued as an orphan cub in her native Brazil, while her two cubs Karai and Porã were born in captivity in September 2020. They are the first jaguars to live in complete freedom in the Argentinian province of Corrientes, according to the organisation who introduced them to the area, Rewilding Argentina. Mariua and her cubs have settled on a hill close to small patches of forests, as well as pastures and wetlands, the organisation said. Their movements are made through a very limited area of about 50 hectares. Researchers say the mother has hunted capybaras on several occasions - the only prey detected in the family’s diet so far. “Carefully re-introducing predators such as jaguars can help restore ecosystems. Without these species, biodiversity suffers and the services that nature provides can break down – from disease mitigation and soil protection to water system regulation,” said Doreen Robinson, Chief of Wildlife at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).