The study aims to discusses the history of scientific research and conservation efforts concerning the jaguar (Panthera onca) in its entire current range, focusing in its status in the Brazilian territory. It addresses the range, the ecology, the behavior and the survival strategies of the species. The study also discusses human perceptions and reactions to its presence and presents the roles of hunters and scientists in the construction of current knowledge about the species. In short, all recorded conservation efforts concerning the species in the Brazilian territory, one of its major living áreas, are discussed in detail.