Investigation opened into two missing jaguar cabs in Misiones

A unit of environmental prosecutors in Argentina have opened an investigation into the disappearance of two jaguar cubs in northern Misiones Province nearly four months ago.

Argentina’s UFIMA (Prosecution Unit to Investigate Crimes against the Environment) will analyse an operation carried out by the Misiones Province Ecology Ministry that transferred an adult female jaguar named Pará to Parque Provincial Esmeralda, a natural protected reserve in the department of San Pedro.

The procedure, which sought to initially only transfer the mother, was ordered after growing concern from local residents near Puerto Iguazú, where the presence of the animal had been noted. 

According to reports, some 50 dogs were attacked by the jaguar, with one incident caught on camera that subsequently went viral on social networks.

Specialists and conservationist organisations agreed that the scenario was extreme and needed action. 

“Either neighbours would kill it, or the conflict would escalate with more attacks,” said a figure with the E Proyecto Yaguareté, Red Yaguareté and the Vida Silvestre Foundation, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

Nevertheless, they stressed that the transfer of a jaguar is always the last resort, due to the high level of stress it entails for the animal and associated risks that come with it.

Other conservation leaders questioned the decision. “The transfer of a female with such small cubs, against any technical indication, is the result of a serious improvisation,” said Nicolás Lodeiro, director of Red Yaguareté, who warned that negligence can cost lives.

Specialists have also questioned the proposed final destination of the cubs and their mother. A counter-proposal had suggested their relocation to the Parque Nacional Iberá in Corrientes Province.

The case escalated to the federal sphere after Red Yaguareté denounced a lack of official information on the whereabouts of the cubs and filed a complaint. 

Prosecutor Ramiro González referred the case to the Environmental Crimes Division of the Federal Police.

According to data from the Fundación Vida Silvestre NGO, there are fewer than 250 jaguars alive in Argentina today.

Operation

The operation took place on October 16. Provincial authorities, together with scientists from Proyecto Yaguareté-CONICET, the Félix de Azara Foundation and the National Parks Administration, located Pará in a local area known as Las 2000 Hectáreas. 

During the operation, it was ascertained that the female was accompanied by two cubs not more than two months old, which added an unforeseen complexity.

The animals were led to Parque Provincial Esmeralda, within the Biosfera Yabotí Reserve. After they were released, the mother departed, while the cubs remained in the vicinity of the site. 

Conservation organisations presume that they may have died, although there is no official confirmation. A week ago, Pará was recorded inside Esmeralda Park via her satellite collar, but there is no news of the cubs.

In a statement issued last December, the provincial Ecology Ministry maintained that the translocation was an "exceptional measure" adopted in response to a critical situation.

Regarding the cubs, a statement said: "It is not possible to determine their current situation with certainty" and admits that "the camera traps did not record the cubs leaving."

In a statement, UFIMA said preliminary investigation is pending as experts await technical reports from specialised bodies. 

In parallel, Misiones Ecology Minister Martín Recaman announced a 40-million-peso investment in sustainable urban development in the Las 2000 hectáreas area, financed with funds from the Native Forest Law.

– TIMES/NA