Wednesday the 26th of September 2007, an example of a female jaguar was captured, that from June on had attacked several veals of a property that lies next to the Provincial Park Salto Encantado of the Valley of Cuña Pirú, in Ruiz de Montoya.
This operation was realized by the staff of the Ministry of Ecology (MERNRyT) together with the representatives of the Administration of Nacional Parks (APN), researchers of CONICET and CeiBA that are in charge of the Jaguar Project, and members of the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA). After being captured, the feline was transferred to the Esmeralda Provincial Park in the Biosphere Reserve Yabotí, to be liberated. Before returning to its natural habitat, a radio collar was placed onto him and activated. The technology of this collar allows constant monitoring of the animal, offering among other interesting data, information about its localization and behavior.
“The excellent result of this team-work between different institutions is a clear example of what we are able to achieve when we articulate efforts and resources. This way of working must be the basis to face the task of establishing and promoting actions to prevent conflict between cattle and the jaguar. And al this while focusing on the productive as well as environmental scope and together with the Ministry of the Land and Production, the MERNRyT and other organizations.”, expressed Manuel Jaramillo, coordinator of the regional office of the FVSA in Missions, at the return of the operation.
When cattle dealer Rubén Sakser, living next to the Park Salto Encantado, detected the attacks by the end of June, he immediately warned the local park rangers, who confirmed the incidents. They monitored the area permanently and called in the help of the investigators of CONICET, who are coordinating the Jaguar project. From that moment on, three cameras with infrared censors where installed with the support of the FVSA, which allowed the confirmation of the presence of an adult jaguar in the area.
The “trap-cameras”, as the investigators call these automatic photo cameraa that are camouflaged in the forest, continued in use from July to September without obtaining new registries. Nevertheless, during that last week, two new attacks took place on the same property. For that reason, the cameras where installed by the rests of the animals this time. Thanks to the presence and the permanent work of the park rangers, the presence of the same jaguar was stated again.
Against this background, all the involved institutions analyzed the different options to solve this situation in a way that protects the security and the patrimony of the people and at the same time protects this specie that is declared a Provincial and National Natural Monument.
Initially, the installation of an electric fence was suggested, over the perimeter of the small farm that lies next to the provincial park. However, after an inspection of the terrain, the experts agreed that, considering the conditions of maintenance of the existing fencing, that was similar to the ones of the neighboring small farms, it was nonviable to solve this situation in the immediate future in an effective way.
Consequently, the chosen alternative was to try to capture the jaguar, using an appropriate cage with pieces of the attacked animals and, if this method appeared successful, release the animal in the Provincial Park Emeralda. This park, core area of the Biosphere Reserve Yabotí, was selected because of the surface of forest that it protects, the availability of animals that are the felines natural alimentation, the fact that in the neighboring areas there are no cattle farms and because the population statistics of the jaguar in that area demonstrate the presence of `tigers´ but in a density that would support the increase of individuals.
And then finally, in the morning of the 26th of September 2007, the capture of the jaguar took place and the joined operation was realized. Dr. Miguel Rinas, head of the `Station of Reproduction´ of the Ecological Park “the Puma”, was in charge of soothing the animal and confirmed that it was indeed a young female, without cubs and in good state of health. The Biologist Agustín Paviolo, with the support of park rangers and the attendance of the property owner Mr. Sakser, placed and activated the radio collar. This collar allowed the monitoring of the animal, to see where it is and to collect data about its behavior. This way, after a five hour journey towards the Emeralda Park during which the animal was soothed, the beautiful animal that had already received the name “la Sureña” (“the Southern one”), was freed.
Measures to prevent the attack of cattle by the feline
This case also showed the importance of counting on measures that tend to obtain a harmony between our development and Vida Silvestre. On this matter, Jaramillo emphasized that, “Even though in this context this was the best form to solve the conflicting situation, it is not viable to think that the translocation of the jaguar will be the desirable solution for all the cases.” Rather, the coordinator of the FVSA emphasized that “the integral solution will depend directly on our success in obtaining the coexistence between the cattle farming and the jaguar and on the effectiveness in the application of measures such as the effective implementation of the Provincial law 4137 N°, Plan of conservation of Great Felines, that anticipates compensations for the decline of animals. These compensations would have to be applied to those property owners who have implemented measured of prevention.” Jaramillo finalized.
The attacks of cattle by felines generally reflect an imbalance in the local ecosystem. The jaguar and the rest of the felines do not attack domestic cattle out of natural habit. If the area where they live offers sufficient forest to them, with enough wild animals to feed themselves, the felines tend to avoid people and their cattle.
However, due to diseases or to hunting the loss of forest and the lack of their natural prey can facilitate that the feline begins to consider cattle as food.
Like several diseases that afflict cattle, such as tristeza, carbunclo or aftosa, need a sanitary plan and demand precautions, also handling measures that reduce the attacks of felines can be adopted.
These recommendations include: a) to remove the animals from the forest or avoid the installation of pastures next to this forest or with access to the forest. Additionally, we tend to avoid that the `tiger´ or puma begins to consider cattle like one of their natural preys; b) To lock up during the night the most vulnerable animals that form an easy prey, like veals, pigs, females that are about to give birth and sick animals; c) To use safe corals that lie, if possible, close to the houses and to light. Small pastures that allow better management and control of the animals are generally safer; d) Installation of electric fencing: they gave very good results in discouraging the jaguars to enter the pastures. These fences need maintenance to work properly; e) To plan the periods of supervision (spring), so that it is easier to take necessary precautions to protect the young animals; f) Protect and not hunt the wild animals that are the natural alimentation of jaguar and the puma, assures the normal diet of these species and so they are not forced to look for other preys; g) Not injuring the felines. Wounded animal lose their ability to hunt what makes cattle the only alimentation in its reach h) essentially, before the evidence of traces or attacks of felines are found, it is very important to warn the competent authorities and the neighboring small farms to take the necessary precautions.
Guardians of the forest
Many will be wondering why to protect these felines that often cause problems and fear. Although there are many answers, seen from the point of taking care of our environment, these felines, especially the jaguar, fulfills an essential roll. They are great carnivores and regulate the populations of all the species that serve him as prey. They avoid population excesses; they eliminate old and sick animals, and help to diminish the spreading of plagues and diseases that affects these species, this way protecting our cattle and even ourselves.
For that reason, when these felines are in danger of disappearance, the whole ecosystem is affected. In the case of the jaguar, its situation causes important consequences in the health and stability of the whole network of life that covers the forest. Thus, its diminution or extinction can also affect the climate, water resources and precipitations at local level. The population of the jaguar in the jungle of Misiones diminished drastically in the last few years. The commitment and the help of all are indispensable for the guardian of a healthy forest, our sustenance, to continue in good sate. |
