New Victory for the Jaguar: Nicaragua and Panthera Establish Critical Conservation Agreement

New Victory for the Jaguar: Nicaragua and Panthera Establish Critical Conservation Agreement

 05-12-2014  Panthera


Managua, Nicaragua – The Americas’ largest wild cat, the elusive jaguar, was awarded new protection yesterday with the signing of a significant jaguar conservation agreement between the government of Nicaragua and Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization.

Assembling in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Panthera’s CEO and world-renowned jaguar scientist, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz.

Through this agreement, both parties have committed to undertake conservation initiatives to identify jaguar distribution and travel corridors in Nicaragua, allowing for the connection and protection of the species and its habitats throughout the Mesoamerican isthmus. Panthera and MARENA additionally pledged to implement initiatives focused on the mitigation of human-jaguar conflict and support of agricultural and other land developments that are both ecologically sustainable and economically profitable for the developing nation of Nicaragua. 

Panthera’s CEO, Dr. Rabinowitz, stated, “The establishment of this agreement with the government of Nicaragua is a huge step for the long-term survival of the jaguar. Nicaragua represents a critical home for the jaguar, and a stepping-stone in the Mesoamerican Jaguar Corridor. Panthera will work together with the Nicaraguan government to strengthen efforts that conserve the nation’s wild habitats and provide opportunities for the safe passage of jaguars and other wildlife through the Nicaraguan landscape.” 

Dr. Rabinowitz continued, “With this signing, Nicaragua becomes the seventh jaguar range country to commit to the conservation of this iconic species, helping to forge a future for the jaguar, its habitats, and the other species that inhabit the forests with this magnificent cat.”

Panthera's CEO Dr. Alan Rabinowitz and Nicaragua's Vice-Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) Ing. Roberto Araquistáin Cisneros at the signing of a jaguar conservation agreement between Panthera and MARENA.

The Vice-Minister Ing. Roberto Araquistáin Cisneros added, "I applaud the hard and efficient field and scientific work that Panthera has done in the country over the past six years. Many of its studies and mapping are being used by this ministry.” 

The Vice-Minister continued, “The Government of Nicaragua through MARENA is committed to safeguard and protect this wild cat and other wildlife, and I therefore urge young Nicaraguans and the various institutions of the country to be involved in this task of jaguar conservation.” 

Nestled in the heart of Central America, Nicaragua serves as a vital home and conduit connecting jaguar populations to the north in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, to all jaguar populations south of the country. The Atlantic region of the country, inhabited by many indigenous communities, is the only existing passageway for jaguars to move south through Nicaragua to Costa Rica, and beyond. 

In recent years, Nicaragua has effectively protected extensive swaths of its forests that are home to the jaguar and other wildlife. As the country continues to develop, additional considerations will have to be made to allow for jaguar passage through agricultural landscapes and infrastructure development. Panthera has been successful in mitigating these activities in other countries to allow for human development and for jaguar passage and conservation.

Launched in 2008 through the Jaguar Corridor Initiative (JCI), Panthera’s jaguar conservation efforts in Nicaragua have focused on ground-truthing or verifying jaguar presence in the country, from Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in the north, to Indio Maiz Biosphere Reserve in the south. Results from these surveys will allow for a clearer understanding of the status of jaguar populations and connectivity in Nicaragua, as well as on the overall connectivity of jaguars in Central America.

Today, Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative is the largest and most effective carnivore conservation program in existence. The JCI now spans nearly six million square kilometers and seeks to connect and protect jaguar populations within human landscapes from Mexico to Argentina to ensure the species’ genetic diversity and survival. 

See a map of Nicaragua and other resources.

Read Panthera’s Press Release in Spanish.

About Panthera 
Panthera, founded in 2006, is devoted exclusively to the conservation of wild cats and their ecosystems. Utilizing the expertise of the world’s premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global conservation strategies for the most imperiled large cats – tigers, lions, jaguars, snow leopards, cheetahs, cougars and leopards. Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera works in partnership with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities and governments around the globe. Visit www.panthera.org.

Note:
Hopefully one day there will also be a better protection for the jaguar in SURINAME!!!! Let Panthera visit this beautiful tiny country in the far north of South America.