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Rare Jaguar Sighting Highlights Border Corridor's Importance

Trail cameras captured rare footage of a male jaguar near the Guatemala-Honduras border, a significant event for the endangered species and a reminder of the vital role of the bi-national corridor for wildlife.

Panthera, a conservation organization, calls the sighting a milestone. "We have recorded male jaguars in both Guatemala and Honduras in this region," stated Allison Devlin and Barbara Escobar-Anleu of Panthera. They stressed ensuring the corridor's functionality and maintaining connectivity between core jaguar populations.

The Bi-National Corridor is a "key bottleneck" for jaguars. Genetic analyses show a lack of exchange between major populations, likely due to deforestation and human-wildlife conflict.

Panthera works with local communities to reduce threats, mitigate conflict, and combat illegal trade. Efforts also focus on maintaining habitats and a healthy prey base.

An example is the reintroduction of collared peccaries, a key prey species, in Jeanette Kawas National Park. The peccary population has rebounded to 80 individuals.

This progress, with the jaguar sighting, offers hope. "We are seeing positive momentum from cooperation between our government colleagues and local communities in both Honduras and Guatemala, working together to ensure safe passage for jaguars," Devlin and Escobar-Anleu concluded.

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