Researchers recently offered a rare glimpse into the life of one of the most elusive big cat species in the Brazilian Amazon, uncovering behavior previously only observed in captivity.
The researchers, from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, used trail cameras as part of a biodiversity study, per Phys.org. To their surprise, the footage they obtained from the cameras had captured something that had never before been documented — a black-coated jaguar mating in the wild with a spotted jaguar.
The six-minute footage of the two big cats showed both the courtship and copulation. The event, which occurred in the Serra do Pardo National Park, was particularly exciting because jaguars are elusive, solitary animals and difficult to study in nature.
“We hit the proverbial jackpot and captured the first-ever video trap footage of a black jaguar mating with a spotted male in the wild,” said professor Carlos Peres, from UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences, per Phys.org.
Trail cameras can be powerful tools to help researchers learn more about wild animals and how their populations are doing in the wild. This is particularly useful for wildlife that are hard to find or endangered species, so researchers can learn more about the health of their populations and if conservation efforts are working.
Conservation efforts are important to help support biodiversity and ensure that populations thrive and contribute to healthy ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems provide clean air and water, food, and natural resources, all of which are important for human survival.
The researchers were really excited by the extra information the footage gave them. “Understanding how jaguars behave in their natural environment is essential, not just for science, but for improving conservation and breeding programs worldwide,” said Thomas Luypaert, a researcher from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, according to Phys.org.
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