Extirpated from the U.S. by the early 1970s, jaguars (Panthera onca) now struggle to survive in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Since 1996, Denver Zoo has supported 10 field projects specifically focused on jaguars in North and South America, including studies by PhD student Rodrigo Núñez Perez. Conducted in cooperation with Dr. Brian Miller (formerly of Denver Zoo), Rodrigo’s research has shown that jaguars in western Mexico are more adaptive that previously thought. These jaguars are able to utilize habitat fragments, even in very close proximity to human development.
With support from Denver Zoo, Rodrigo now will continue this research in the Cabocorrintes region of the northern Jalisco coast in Mexico. This area consists of more than 1000 km2 of fragmented forest that remains prime jaguar habitat in some areas. As the current Jalisco state government plans more roads and development to accommodate tourism, Rodrigo hopes to understand how jaguars respond to this activity and habitat modification in an effort to produce an appropriate, realistic conservation plan.
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