WHERE JAGUARS LIVE DURING FLOOD OF RIVERS IN THE AMAZON

[Reproduced from www.amazonia.org.br]

Study proves that Jaguars live in treetops during the flooding of the rivers

Survey by the Mamirauá Institute proved scientifically that flooded forests of the Amazon, during the period of the flood, Jaguars (Panthera onca) remain on the trees for approximately three months of the year. Since last week, Jaguars are being seen daily in the treetops of the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, in Amazonas State. There are no records of this kind of behavior from occurring in other parts of the world.

"This is a new behavior for big cats, which need large amounts of food every day to survive and that until now were considered terrestrial," said researcher Emiliano Esterci Ramalho, responsible for the Iauaretê Project, developed since 2004 by the Mamirauá Institute, with the goal of studying the ecology and to promote the conservation of the Jaguar in the floodplain Amazonica.

In 2013, the researchers had already spotted the specimens in the trees, even a female with her puppy: "following the GPS track of one of our Jaguars with a collar, a female, she was found with her six month baby  living in a tree, 12 km away from the nearest dry soil. The pup slept in front of us. This implies that female Jaguars that live in the trees, swim  daily for other trees  to hunt prey "reported Emiliano.

The environment of the Valley of Mamirauá Reserve has very specific features, such as the water level variation, ranging annually an average of 10 meters. According to the researcher, the common would be that these land animals entered flooded areas. "But Mamirauá is an island, so a species that lives here, will have to necessarily cross the Amazon River every time it floods, which isn't the best idea! The alternative is to climb trees.  Common sense says that "cat doesn't like water", which is not the case of jaguars, that is in theory,  how they can live in Mamirauá.

In the view of the researcher, the discovery has serious implications for the conservation of the Jaguar and raises other questions about the behavior and ecology of large carnivores. "Floodplain forests, which have been neglected in conservation proposals for the Jaguar in the past, are extremely important areas for the Jaguar in the Amazon because they are home to a large number of Jaguars; they are areas of reproduction of the species, and also because the animals living in this region of the Amazon has a unique ecology. Increase the number of protected areas on floodplains can be crucial to the survival of Jaguars in the Amazon, "he said.