The jaguar (Panthera onca), the largest feline in the Americas, has a significant presence in Colombia. Its habitat includes ecosystems below 2,000 meters above sea level, such as tropical forests, savannas, and mangroves, with the largest stretches of its refuge located in the Amazon and Orinoquía. These regions, although crucial, face threats such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and the expansion of human activities, which compromise ecological connectivity and the viability of their populations.
The Caribbean areas of Colombia, for example, host critical jaguar populations, due to isolation and environmental degradation, which require urgent interventions such as the establishment of ecological corridors between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá.
In Colombia, 497 core conservation areas for the jaguar have been identified, but only 15.6 percent of its potential distribution is under some form of formal protection.
To address these issues, biological corridors and community-based strategies have been proposed in regions such as Guaviare, promoting sustainable coexistence between local communities and wildlife. These measures aim to ensure the functionality of habitats and long-term connectivity, which are essential for the conservation of this umbrella species, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of Colombia's ecosystems.
Traslated with AI support