After several months of operation, an interinstitutional team finally managed to capture and successfully relocate the injured jaguar named “Pará.”
The female jaguar was found with her two cubs in the area of Iguazú National Park in Misiones.
The procedure was carried out because Pará was injured: she had lost an eye in an accident.
This impaired her life and survival in the jungle, as it limited her hunting capacity.
Now, Pará and her cubs have been relocated to a protected area with more favorable conditions for her development despite her blindness.
The injury that changed the behavior of the jaguar Pará
“Pará” had suffered the loss of an eye in an accident, drastically reducing her hunting capacity in the Misiones jungle.
The female, approximately seven years old, needed to feed her two cubs: a male and a female.
This physical limitation forced her to adopt an unusual behavior for her species, occasionally attacking farm animals in inhabited areas.
Why it was urgent to capture the jaguar Pará
Therefore, since February of this year, residents of the area known as “2000 Hectares,” a settlement bordering Iguazú National Park, began to report frequent sightings of “Pará.”
Subsequently, camera traps repeatedly recorded her presence while prowling for food near homes.
Thus, the controlled capture became a priority to protect both the animal and the local community and their domestic animals.
The Yaguareté Project, the Misiones Biodiversity Institute (IMiBio), the Argentine Wildlife Foundation, park rangers from Iguazú National Park, Ecology, and the Environmental Police worked for months on the operation.
The conservation of “Pará” and her cubs represents a crucial contribution to the endangered species in Argentina.
The objective of the operation was to assess the health status of “Pará” and relocate her to the Green Corridor of the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve.
This new environment offers more favorable conditions for the species and will allow the repopulation of the area.
According to economis.com.ar, in recent years, there have only been records of one male in the Yabotí area.
The unexpected discovery of Pará’s cubs
During the operation, veterinarians determined that Pará had become a mother approximately a month and a half ago.
This finding completely changed the dynamics of the rescue operation.
Upon learning this, the technical teams deployed a new tracking to locate the cubs that remained in the jungle.
The search was conducted using data from the satellite tracking collar placed on the mother.
This technology allowed identifying the areas that “Pará” had recently frequented with her cubs.
After several hours of searching in the area, the rescue team found the cubs in good health.
Once found, the cubs were relocated to the Protected Natural Area where “Pará” is currently located.
Now, the professionals will carry out the acclimatization process and reunite the mother with her cubs.
A team of specialists will continue monitoring the family to ensure their proper adaptation to the new environment.
The first health check was carried out at the Güirá Oga Rescue Center.
There, specialists confirmed the good overall condition of the specimen and adjusted the care protocols.
The operation was carried out under strict security and animal welfare measures until the final relocation.
This case represents a significant advance for the conservation of the jaguar in Argentina, where the species’ population faces constant threats due to habitat loss and conflicts with human activities.
