Wild Felines

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Among the rich biodiversity of Pacuare Reserve, at least two species of wild cats have been reported. The Jaguar (Panthera onca) and the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). Other species are also thought of visiting Pacuare, but we haven't gathered enough information yet.

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The jaguar is the largest feline species in America and the third in the world after the tiger and the lion. Its present distribution range extends from Mexico to South America. They are usually solitary and highly territorial, with areas that can range from 50 to 80 km2 for males and don't overlap. The male territory can contain several females. The ocelot, on the other hand, is smaller cat (70-90 cm length) with big eyes adapted to the changing conditions of the light. It's mostly nocturnal and it feeds on smaller mammals like monkeys or bats and reptiles.

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The IUCN classifies the jaguar as "near threatened" but the population trend is decreasing. They face many threats like habitat loss by deforestation; competition with humans for their preys and direct killing by ranchers or cattle owners.

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Pacuare Reserve has collaborated with several organizations to assess the presence and status of the jaguar population on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and the role of the Reserve as a natural corridor for this highly mobile and territorial species.

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On September 2014 and for the first time, a green sea turtle was found on the beach killed by a jaguar. The camera traps captured the image of a female and a baby eating the turtle. This is the first time that this happens in Pacuare, while in Tortuguero ( 40 km north) is a common practice. New questions arose about the jaguar distribution range and the presence of new individuals on the same territory.

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While it was common to see jaguar tracks on the beach, it was very hard or almost imposible to spot it during the night. On March 2015 however, Jonathan a member of the staff, had the chance to see a jaguar swimming in the canals. 

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In 2015, the Reserve started collaborating with Coastal Jaguar Conservation and Panthera Costa Rica to ascertain the presence of a jaguar (Panthera onca) population and to also determine the presence of potential prey species found in the Reserve. The project has  also been trying to evaluate the possible migration of jaguars, or other wild felids, between Tortuguero National Park, Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge and Pacuare Reserve. Information such as this is important to conservation efforts as it allows us to identify areas of connectivity in a fragmented habitat.

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It was not until July 205 that they documented an adult male ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) at two separate sites. This ocelot was first recorded in Tortuguero in November of 2012, and then again in July 2015 in Pacuare. This represents a straight-line distance of 41km that the individual travelled, with male ocelots typically having an average range of between 4-90.5km2. This constituted the first evidence of movement (or connectivity) between these protected areas and if an ocelot is able to travel such distance, a jaguar should be able too.

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The study also registered, for the first time, the mammals of the Reserve, identifying after 164 nights of study, 11 different species of mammal. The most abundant was the common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) and the ocelot. They also found five jaguars: two adult males, one female with a baby and another individual not determined. 

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Click here to access the article in La Nación with a video of the species found on the camera traps (in spanish), or click on the logo to download the pdf of the full article (in english). 

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In the last years any other sighting has been recorded but it hasn't been uncommon to find jaguar tracks at the beach. 

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