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 b
Post: 14 October 14:50
