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The endangered species are many and, in all cases, the hand of man has a fundamental role in this sad scourge. One of these cases is that of the jaguar, one of the most important felines in America and which, due to various causes that have affected it for decades, is now in danger of extinction. If you want to go a little deeper into this problem and why the jaguar is in danger of extinctionDespite the protection programs that are being carried out from different areas, keep reading Ecologist Verde and we will tell you everything.
Jaguar characteristics
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a subfamily of the genus Panthera, so it is related to other species of big felines, as are the tiger or the lion. In fact, of the big cats, the jaguar is the third largest of all after just those mentioned. It is an animal that is characterized by a yellowish coat covered in dark spots, which is its most relevant identifying sign when it comes to distinguishing it from other felines.
Learn more about this big cat and how to differentiate it from other similarities in this other Green Ecologist article on the Difference between cheetah, leopard and jaguar.
It is by far one of the most important carnivores in all of America, which is its natural habitat. In fact, we can currently find populations of jaguars from the southern United States to northern Argentina, being especially important the populations located in Central America and especially the Amazon jungle.
The jaguar is near the danger of extinction
When we speak of threatened or endangered species, we are referring to those species that become part of the Red List of Threatened Species or Red Book. This list was created in 1963 by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). This organization aims to ensure the conservation of the biodiversity and natural wealth of our planet and, with the elaboration of the Red List, it is intended to give the cry of alarm about species that are being especially damaged and that, if not to do something to reverse the situation, they will end up disappearing, becoming extinct species.
When including or not a species in this Red List, different criteria analyzed by the different experts working in the organization are taken into account. The main element that is taken into account is the number of specimens that are still alive, both in freedom and in captivity, as well as the possibilities of these specimens to be able to reproduce and guarantee that the species in question is perpetuated. Likewise, the Red List also includes different degrees of those species that they include. Specifically, there would be seven categories, where the least worrisome will be the one called species of "least concern" and the most serious would be the one that would include "extinct" species.
Thus, by saying that the jaguar is in danger of extinctionWe are referring to a species that has been included in the IUCN Red List. Specifically, currently, the jaguar would have the category of "near threatened species". This means that although you are not critically endangered, your situation is considered so critical that it is expected to become so in the near future. In other words, jaguars are a species whose situation is deteriorating very quickly due to a series of phenomena that are destroying their current populations and that, moreover, do not seem to be solved in a short period of time. term.
Why the jaguar is in danger of extinction - the causes
As we have already said, the natural habitat is established in the center and a good part of the south of the American continent, which includes the Amazon rainforest. In fact, currently, the main threat decimating jaguar populations is deforestation of the Amazon, which is advancing by leaps and bounds to obtain new farmland (especially those destined to the cultivation of palm and soybeans). This accelerated destruction of its natural habitat makes it more difficult for the jaguar to hunt and reproduce, which in turn contributes to jaguar populations are further damaged by the effect of deforestation in the Amazon.
However, it is true that although the destruction of its habitat is the main threat facing the species, it is not the only one. Deforestation of the Amazon should be included poaching, illegal trade in exotic animals and peasant traps, who persecute this animal since it constitutes a species that attacks livestock. In this way, despite the laws that have been implemented in some countries in order to protect it, the reality is that it is a species that is increasingly threatened and that, if we do not do something to remedy it, it is very It is likely that in the next few years it will be doomed to extinction.
Thus, we must collaborate in everything possible to reduce these damages, not only for jaguars but for many more species and the environment in general. For example, in this other article we tell you How to avoid poaching animals.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why the jaguar is in danger of extinctionWe recommend that you enter our category of Endangered Animals.
