Completely caught off guard: a new record of Jaguar, Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia, Felidae), from an urban park

Abstract

Jaguar, Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758), is a paramount predator that contributes to ecosystem balance but rarely inhabits small conserved areas. We report a new record of a Jaguar in Brasilia National Park that was photographed while monitoring the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758) population using camera traps. This Jaguar record is critical in documenting the presence of this species in highly human-inhabited and urbanized areas. Our new record also contributes to the understanding of the current distribution of remaining individuals and confirms the importance of large-scale protected areas in providing habitat for species, such as jaguars, that have large ranges.

Keywords

• Camera trap
• distribution
• Felidae
• human-modified