Mahahual, Q.R. — A new female jaguar has been detected in the jungle area around Mahahual. Proyecto AAk Mahahual A.C. , who first noticed the new young female, says the good news is she is sharing it with a known male.
In a statement, Project AAk Mahahual A.C. said “as part of the coexistence project with the jaguar, we are very happy to be able to register a new young female jaguar specimen this year sharing the same territory as another male jaguar in Mahahual.”
The new young female was captured on camera sniffing out the new territory Sunday. “We thank iFaw for their support in donating camera equipment to conserve and monitor the jaguar in Mahahual,” they said.
Young female jaguars are smaller than males, but they are still large animals. At 18 months, they reach about 80 percent of the body size of an adult. Their average body weight is between 30 and 60 kilograms.
Jaguars are classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Habitat loss, hunting and conflict with humans are the main threats to their survival. Many jaguars are killed in the region for eating livestock and attacking dogs. They are also the victim of numerous highway accidents.
In Quintana Roo, jaguars are found mainly in the southern part of the state, in the Mayan Jungle.
