The presence of a black jaguar was recorded for the first time in the Serra do Tombador Nature Reserve, in Cavalcante, Goiás state. The unprecedented images were taken with camera traps in March, April, and May this year.
Also known as black panther, the melanistic Panthera onca has darker fur because of a genetic mutation that occurs in one out ten individuals. The discovery is a positive sign of the preservation of the animal, classified as vulnerable by the Ministry of the Environment.
“Melanism is a genetic mutation that increases the production of melanin, which causes the animal’s fur to have a dark color, but we know that, in order for a melanistic jaguar to be born, at least one of the parents must also have this characteristic,” said biologist Roberto Fusco, a member of the Nature Conservation Specialist Network.
The expert stressed that the presence of jaguars is also an indication of the conservation of the area and its surroundings.
“Since it is an umbrella species that needs large territories to survive in the wild, protecting the jaguar has positive effects for many other species and for the entire ecosystem as a result,” Fusco noted.
Biologist Mariana Vasquez, manager of the Serra do Tombador Nature Reserve, said that the records contribute to increasing the local community’s commitment to nature conservation.
“Without a doubt, these records of rare animals draw a lot of attention from those who live and work around the reserve, reinforcing the message that we should all strive to keep natural areas well conserved,” she argued.
Biggest cat
The jaguar is considered to be the largest cat in the Americas. In Brazil, jaguars are concentrated in the Amazon and the pantanal. In the pampa, it is considered extinct. In the other biomes – the cerrado, the caatinga, and the Atlantic Forest – populations are smaller and fragmented.
“The jaguar suffers from habitat loss caused mainly by deforestation, from retaliatory hunting – tmotivated by possible attacks on domestic and farm animals – tand also from the impacts of climate change,” Fusco added.
“Road kills have also become a growing threat, especially in the cerrado. It’s a challenge that affects not only jaguars, but many other wild animals that live in the biome,” Vasquez went on to say.
Jaguars are known to travel long distances in search of food, shelter, protection, and breeding sites.
“They are solitary animals that only stay with their mothers until they are two years old. They can move over an area that can exceed 50 thousand hectares,” Fusco pointed out. “That’s why it’s vital for conservation units to be strengthened and for ecological corridors to exist, guaranteeing the conservation not only of jaguars, but of several other species of fauna,” he stated.
Conservation area
The Serra do Tombador Nature Reserve is a conservation area covering 8,730 hectares. It is a Private Natural Heritage Reserve, created 20 years ago and maintained by the Grupo Boticário Foundation for Nature Protection.
The unit is not open to public visitors, but welcomes researchers. A total of 437 plant species and 531 animal species have been recorded in the reserve.
The reserve is considered a nature-based solution, as it contributes to protecting water resources, regulating the climate, and fixing carbon in the soil. It also plays a complementary role in protecting the fauna of the Chapada dos Veadeiros region.
Source: Agência Brasil