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Even in their designated sanctuaries they are threatened by human development such as the Rosemont mine. Organizations like Defenders of Wildlife are trying to shut this copper mine down to protect the health of the jaguar and its habitat. And where the mine is lost more tourism and aesthetic benefits arise. Any road that is built through its range, or any house, village, or shopping mall that is constructed over one of these creatures homes forces it to move to another area, but rarely can a similar area be found. Also known as habitat fragmentation,
Habitat Loss is No Help
Created by Moncrief and Larsen, SEA-DISC Sir Francis Drake High School, 2017
Desert landscape, (Moncrief, 2017)
Jaguar swimming, (Timbako, 2017)
Jaguar in field, (Timbako, 2017)
Jaguar grooming, (Timbako, 2017)
Jaguars are very similar to humans when it comes to habitats. Humans live all over the world, in many different biomes. Although jaguars don’t span quite this far, they too can survive in many different types of habitats. This is one factor that makes jaguars slightly more resilient - they can live in wet lowland habitats, savannas, and tropical and subtropical forests (which they prefer) (Miller et. al, 2015). Another similarity between jaguars and humans is that they both must have access to water in order to survive. Although jaguars can live in many different habitats, they can always be found near a water source due to this basic need, which can sometimes be a difficult need to fulfill (Miller et. al).
One of the factors that makes jaguars especially vulnerable is that they need a lot of space in order to survive. Males require a range of around 53 square miles of territory with no other males present in the area (Armstrong, 2016). Any time a male comes into another male's territory, the two individuals will fight aggressively until one flees (Armstrong, 2016). Females have a slightly smaller range, and some overlap by female and male ranges doesn’t cause too much
conflict. This large range for both females and males makes the jaguar very vulnerable to human urbanization and development, as the jaguar needs its entire untouched range for survival.
this harm caused by humans is one of the biggest threats that jaguars are facing right now. Habitat destruction also leads to the decline and loss of prey for the jaguar, which has a detrimental impact on the species (Jaguar, Panthera Onca). Both habitat destruction and fragmentation are issues that could be helped by every person becoming a conscious consumer.
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