Belize Snags International Spotlight for Jaguar Conservation Initiative

October 30, 2022
by Larry Waight +

Habitat loss, prey depletion, and human jaguar conflict are among the top reasons why the jaguar population across the world has gone to a “near threatened” species, but countries such as Belize have been doing all in their capacity to replenish large areas of rain forest needed for jaguars to survive.

This is being done through a collaborative effort between several local conservation groups who decided that the quickest and most effective way to protect the remaining majestic creatures in Belize was through the expansion of a large track of nature reserve known as the Maya Forest Corridor. The corridor which has been dubbed a major slice of land that could determine the future of the species in Belize is estimated to be around six miles in width and covers over 90,000 acres of protected jaguar habitats.

It is an effort that has been recognized internationally and even highlighted recently by CNN, in an extensive news coverage. In that coverage, Elma Kay, biologist and managing director of the Belize Maya Forest Trust is quoted as saying that jaguars who are unable to cross between southern Belize and Guatemala due to deforestation and urban development, use the corridor when heading north to Mexico or south to Central or South America. According to Kay, the huge chunk of land is fastly becoming a crucial link in the entire jaguar range, which spans millions of square miles from Mexico to Argentina.

But while conservationists are racing against time to save the jaguars, the corridor itself is under threat from deforestation and large-scale agriculture. That damage according to the Wildlife Conservation Society is estimated to be somewhere around 65%. This according to Emma Sanchez, coordinator for Pantera Belize Jaguar Program could pose further threats to the already fragile species. ” If an area is deforested, jaguars won’t cross it because they can get killed, there probably won’t be prey for them, or they might have limited water,” she told CNN.

But why is the species so important one may ask? Sanchez explained that losing the jaguar, which is an apex predator could have a rippling effect on the surrounding environment. Jaguars according to Sanchez, create a balance in the ecosystem and thereby limiting the number of species below them in the food chain.

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“The protection and conservation of jaguars also protect a larger landscape where we have different habitats and many other species,” ended Sanchez who has spent years studying jaguars.

While the initiative is being spearheaded by the grassroots Belizean movement, it has taken an international effort to get it done. The group recently bought additional lands within the corridor and is looking to purchase additional acres to “complete the corridor connection, ” in time to save the jaguars.

While the article noted that the Government of Belize had endorsed the project in 2019, local communities recognize the benefit of protecting nature so that they can in turn have sustainable livelihoods, water security, and healthy soil, starting with the protection of these majestic beings.