Large- and medium-bodied terrestrial mammals of the Upper Berbice region of Guyana

Pierre, Meshach Andres; Ignacio, Leroy; Paemelaere, Evi A. D.

doi:10.15560/16.5.1229

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Estimates of jaguar density outside of Belize range between 0.5 and 5.6 individuals/100 km 2 , differing with habitat, land use, and human activities. In tropical moist lowland forests outside of Belize, jaguar density estimates are similar to those reported in this study, ranging from 1.0 to 4.5 individuals/100 km 2 , with higher estimates from areas with no human activities or logging concessions only, and lower estimates at sites with settlements and hunting ( Petit et al 2017 ; Pierre et al 2018 ; Tobler et al 2018 ). In other habitats, the highest jaguar densities have been estimated on an expansive conservation-friendly cattle ranch and nature reserve in Venezuela, a mosaic of open lowland savannah, pastures, open marshes, and deciduous and dry forests (3.7–5.6 individuals/100 km 2 — Jędrzejewski et al 2017 ).…”

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confidence: 83%

Jaguar (Panthera onca) density and tenure in a critical biological corridor

Foster

Harmsen

Urbina

et al. 2020

Journal of Mammalogy

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We estimated jaguar density and tenure, and investigated ranging behavior, using camera traps across the Maya Forest Corridor, a human-influenced landscape in central Belize that forms the only remaining connection for jaguar populations inhabiting two regional forest blocks: the Selva Maya and the Maya Mountain Massif. Jaguars were ubiquitous across the study area. Similar to the neighboring Selva Maya, mean density ranged from 1.5 to 3.1 jaguars per 100 km 2 , estimated by spatial capture-recapture models. Cameras detected almost twice as many males as females, probably reflecting detection bias, and males ranged more widely than females within the camera grid. Both sexes crossed two major rivers, while highway crossings were rare and male-biased, raising concern that the highway could prevent female movement if traffic increases. Jaguars were more transient where the landscape was fragmented with settlements and agriculture than in contiguous forest. Compared with jaguars in the protected forests of the Maya Mountains, jaguars in central Belize displayed a lower potential for investment in intraspecific communication, indicative of a lower quality landscape; however, we did detect mating behavior and juveniles. Tenure of individuals was shorter than in the protected forests, with a higher turnover rate for males than females. At least three-quarters of reported jaguar deaths caused by people were male jaguars, and the majority was retaliation for livestock predation. Jaguars seem relatively tolerant to the human-influenced landscape of central Belize. However, intensification of game hunting and lethal control of predators would threaten population persistence, while increased highway traffic and clear-cutting riparian forest would severely limit the corridor function. Our results show that the viability of the corridor, and thus the long-term survival of jaguar populations in this region, will depend on appropriate land-use planning, nonlethal control of livestock predators, enforcement of game hunting regulations, and wildlife-friendly features in future road developments.

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