ONÇAFARI

Leading the Search for the Jaguar’s Survival

In Brazil’s vast Pantanal wetland, carefully managed jaguar encounters are helping this endangered species survive.

Considered the world’s largest tropical wetland, Brazil's 70,000 square-mile Pantanal region harbors an incredible diversity of species. The mighty jaguar sits atop the Pantanal’s food chain as an apex predator, playing a critical role in this vast wetland’s ecological balance. Over the years, jaguars have become increasingly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, landing them on the list of endangered species.

A&K Philanthropy has partnered with Brazil’s Onçafari Association to protect the dwindling jaguar population through habituation, a practice where animals are kept wild and free while they’re acclimatized to the presence of vehicles. Through carefully managed habituation encounters, A&K guests of Caiman Ecological Refuge are afforded an opportunity to learn more about jaguars while helping the species adapt to survive. These jaguar sightings also play a key role in Onçafari’s research, informing the most effective strategies for the species’ conservation.

Since Onçafari’s inception in 2011, the team has spotted over 3,400 jaguars, of which more than 300 individuals have been identified, 50 have been collared and 32 have had biological samples taken. These data points helped to inform conservation strategies that have led to a 270% increase in Caiman Ecological Refuge’s local jaguar population.

AKP is proud to support cutting-edge conservation research combined with pragmatic solution-oriented community outreach. Looking forward, AKP will continue to partner with Onçafari to transform the cultural view of jaguars by educating communities about responsible ecotourism’s benefits for the animals and the land.