Jaguars (Panthera onca), the largest native feline in the Americas, serve as a vital component in maintaining ecological resilience, acting as the dominant predator throughout their range. Their role as a top predator makes them a strong indicator of ecosystem health and conserving the Jaguar has a ripple effect, supporting the survival of numerous other species within the same ecosystem. However, the Jaguar populations face significant pressures due to habitat fragmentation, illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict, particularly during their transboundary migrations. Despite their classification as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, most Jaguar subpopulations, except those in the Amazon, are Endangered or Vulnerable, underscoring the need to secure transboundary migration routes to ensure their long-term survival and genetic diversity.

In response to conservation needs, the Jaguar was listed in CMS Appendices I and II at COP13 in Gandhinagar in 2020, formally recognizing it as a species requiring coordinated, cross-border conservation action. Building on this recognition, the CMS Jaguar Initiative was established at the 14th Conference of the Parties (CMS COP14) in Samarkand in 2024. This framework encourages collaboration among CMS Jaguar Range States, facilitating joint actions for the conservation of the species and its habitat. Through regional cooperation, the CMS Jaguar Initiative seeks to address critical threats to the jaguar, such as habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict, and to  strengthen conservation efforts across its range. 

Threats and Challenges

Jaguars face a range of severe threats, varying from habitat loss to human-wildlife conflict, that contribute to their decline. Deforestation is one of the most significant issues, driven by agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, and infrastructure development, particularly in regions like Brazil, where a substantial portion of Jaguar habitat has been lost. This habitat fragmentation disrupts migration and territorial movements. Hunting continues to be a critical threat, stemming from past intensive fur trade and current poaching due to conflicts with livestock and for ornamental and traditional purposes. Livestock conflicts exacerbate retaliation killings by ranchers who see Jaguars as threats to their cattle. Migration barriers such as roads, fences, and dams fragment habitats and hinder migration and/or natural dispersion, making Jaguars more vulnerable to vehicle collisions and human conflicts. Cultural utilization across the range states includes killing animals for medicinal, nutritional, or ornamental purposes. Although the illegal trafficking of Jaguars and their parts has been successfully prevented, recent reports indicate an upward trend in certain range countries, such as Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama. This suggests a need for increased international attention and collaboration to effectively address these emerging challenges and prevent further escalation. Collectively, these pressures threaten the long-term viability of Jaguar populations.

Objectives of the Initiative

1. Establishing and fostering strategic cooperations, including non-Party countries, in line with the 2030 Jaguar Roadmap
2. Establishing a Programme of Work (POW) jointly with CITES
3. Sustainable financing for the conservation of the species
4. Improving knowledge on movement patterns of Jaguar individuals as well as other behavioral and biological traits by fostering collaborative actions
5. Identification of the present geographical range and prioritization of important transboundary areas and connecting corridors
6. Preparation and implementation of conservation strategies for illegal trade, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, habitat fragmentation and degradation
7. Adoption of actions that ensure connectivity between Jaguar populations
8. Fostering community participation to the species conservation
9. Capacity building of Range States to revise and adjust their plans, strategies and legal frameworks
10. Raising awareness about conservation status and threats facing Jaguar populations
11. Continuous assessment of the conservation status, especially of transboundary populations, to monitor trends and threats
12. Ensuring communication and reliable data sharing between Range States and stakeholders to improve conservation actions

Activities

Resolution 14.14 recommends all Party Range States and invites non-Party Range States (including all CITES Parties in the Jaguar range) to officially join this Initiative, with the aim of creating a Joint CITES-CMS Jaguar Initiative, allowing greater cooperation in view of the threats faced by the Jaguar and the deterioration of the habitat and illegal trade. In addition, it has been agreed that the Initiative will be implemented through a Programme of Work (POW), developed jointly with CITES. This will outline tangible actions and align with the 2030 Jaguar Roadmap.

The CMS Jaguar Initiative aims to join efforts with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, communities, donors, and individuals interested in Jaguar conservation and contribute to its goals by providing the necessary human, financial and technical resources. Complementing with these efforts, the initiative seeks to collaborate with partners of the Jaguar 2030 Conservation Roadmap for the Americas, which aims to strengthen the Jaguar Corridor across range countries by securing 30 critical Jaguar landscapes by 2030.