A jaguar that roamed residential neighborhoods in the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu over the weekend was safely captured Sunday following a joint operation involving wildlife specialists, environmental authorities and security forces, the institutions involved said.
The animal, estimated to be between 4 and 5 years old, was first spotted Saturday morning when security cameras in the Três Lagoas neighborhood recorded the feline walking through streets, sidewalks and parks, ABC Color reported.
The jaguar, the largest feline in the Americas, is classified as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
After the initial reports, specialists from the Onças do Iguaçu Project and Itaipu’s Bela Vista Biological Refuge tracked the animal’s footprints and confirmed that it had temporarily returned to a nearby forested area.
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Capturaron al Yaguarete que circulaba por las calles de Foz do Iguaçú desde el sábado
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The jaguar reappeared Sunday morning in the Jardim Cedro neighborhood, where specialized veterinary teams sedated and captured it without incident.
The operation involved Itaipu Binacional, the Onças do Iguaçu Project, Argentina’s Yaguareté Project, Iguaçu National Park, Brazil’s Environmental Police and Military Police.
Authorities cordoned off the area to ensure the safety of both residents and the animal.
After being captured, the adult male, weighing approximately 75 kilograms, was taken to the Veterinary Hospital at the Bela Vista Biological Refuge, where it underwent a comprehensive clinical evaluation.
According to Aline Luiza Konell, a veterinarian with Itaipu’s Protected Areas Division, the team performed X-rays, blood tests and collected additional biological samples, while also treating a wound on the animal’s back.
The examinations found no bullet wounds or other injuries that would compromise its health.
Once it has recovered, the jaguar, which was given the name Tape’ỹ, a word of Tupi origin meaning “the one who has lost his way,” will be fitted with a tracking collar before being released in an area far from human contact.
The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation will decide when and where the animal will be released.
Authorities said the animal is not among the individuals currently monitored by regional conservation programs.
Specialists said jaguar sightings near urban areas have become increasingly frequent in the Triple Frontier region, where protected areas in Brazil and Argentina border populated communities.
Wildlife Conservation Society Paraguay said the species is experiencing a rapid regional decline because of habitat loss caused by deforestation and illegal hunting, which has led to its disappearance from large portions of its historic range.
“For more than 20 years, there had been no records of jaguars in our protected areas or their surroundings. This shows that the forested areas are healthy and allow wildlife to move through them,” Konell told Diario Última Hora.
“Instead of reacting against the animal, residents immediately contacted the teams in charge and allowed the capture to be carried out safely, giving the jaguar a new chance at life,” said Yara Barros, coordinator of the Onças do Iguaçu Project.
