Jaguar population increases in Mexico

In Mexico, efforts to preserve jaguars , the third largest cat in the world , have borne fruit. Jaguar population increased 10% in the Yucatán peninsula , going from 850 to about 2,000 , according to Alejandro del Mazo Maza , National Commissioner of Protected Areas .

In a telephone interview for EL UNIVERSAL , he disclosed that Mexico ranks second in jaguar population— just below Brazil .

“The successful increase in jaguar population is the result of a series of measures for its conservation, such as biological monitoring via phototraping , satellite collars , a progressive penalty system for poaching , stopping illegal logging through Federal Police surveillance , and protocols to prevent livestock conflicts,” assured the commissioner.

Along with the creation of three natural reserves in 2016, namely, Sierra de Tamaulipas Biosphere Reserve in Tamaulipas , Ajos-Bavispe National Forest Reserve in Sonora , and the Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve in Quintana Roo , the three with an increasing jaguar population.

Alejandro del Mazo Maza disclosed that Mexico , Guatemala , and Belize are seeking to create the first "tri-national natural protected area," which would encompass Yucatán , Quintana Roo , Campeche , and Chiapas in Mexico and may be formalized by this year.

On Twitter , Alejandro del Mazo Maza wrote in Spanish: "Jaguars are key species for Biodiversity Conservation in Mexico, thus we are working on creating the first tri-national natural protected area with Guatemala and Belize to preserve a feline and its habitat the Mayan jungle."

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