Conservation Group Mates Wild and Captive Jaguar

 

A project in Argentina is using a new model in animal conservation to grow the jaguar¹ population in the country's northern forests. The conservation group Rewilding Argentina brought together a wild jaguar and a captive one for mating.

It is believed to be the first attempt of its kind.

Tania is the name of the female. She was raised in a zoo. The male is called Qaramta. Their relationship began last year in Argentina's Impenetrable National Park.

Almost all jaguars² have disappeared from the area. But in late 2019, a jaguar pawprint was found in a dry riverbed. Project workers set up observation cameras and soon saw an adult male. During a brief capture, they attached an electronic tracking device to the cat.

Then Tania, a mother already, was brought in on the job. She was placed in a special containment³ area at the park.

Over nine months, the jaguars developed a connection although physically⁴ separated by a fence. They moved closer to each other as the days passed. They began to nuzzle through the fence and exchange peaceful cat calls.

The behavior signaled that the two jaguars likely would not fight. So, Qaramta was let into Tania's area when she was ready for mating.

Tania and Qaramta spent a little less than a week together sleeping and playing and cleaning themselves. A hopeful yet worried group of researchers watched them, at least some of the time.

The project's field director, Marisi Lopez, said the team could not confirm mating happened because the animals went deep into the forest. But there seemed to be, she said, "very good chemistry between them."

Qaramta has returned to life on the other side of the fence. But he visits Tania almost every night. The project plans to fully⁵ reunite the cats once Tania is again ready to mate. Until then, she is being watched for signs of pregnancy⁶.

Rewilding Argentina has bred captive jaguars in nearby Ibera National Park. They have also bred giant anteaters and bare-faced curassows.

‘Desperate move'

Howard Quigley is Jaguar Program director for Panthera, an international wild cat conservation organization. He said usually the biggest issue is whether the animals will get along. "In zoos it's not uncommon⁷ to have a female or male killed in these encounters," he said.

But it appears that was not an issue for Tania and Qaramta.

"Hopefully, they now have a pregnant female who can be used for the next step," he said.

Mating between captive and wild animals is new to the conservation field. But, Rewilding Argentina's conservation director, Sebastian di Martino, says more traditional methods are not enough.

"You have to go a step further and bring back what's been lost. It's a somewhat desperate move" but there are really no other choices, he said. "We do this or we lose the jaguar."

In a worst-case situation, he said, Qaramta could be caught by hunters before he can get Tania pregnant. In the best situation, the two animals will produce young.

Jaguars are the largest cat in the Americas. They have lost over half their traditional living areas. In Argentina's northern Chaco area, which is home to Impenetrable National Park, just 20 are thought to exist.

Words in This Story

conservation - n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources

pawprint - n. the impression left by a clawed animal's foot

nuzzle - v. to gently push or rub your nose or face against (someone or something) to show affection

encounter - n. a meeting that is not planned or expected

desperate - adj. done with all of your strength or energy and with little hope of succeeding

1 jaguar   

n.美洲虎

参考例句：

• He was green with envy when he saw my new Jaguar car.看见我那辆美洲虎牌新车，他非常妒忌。
• Should you meet a jaguar in the jungle,just turn slowly,walk away.But slowly,never look back.你在丛林中若碰上美洲虎，就慢慢转身走开，可一定要慢，切莫回头看。

2 jaguars   

n.（中、南美洲的）美洲虎( jaguar的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jaguars are largely nocturnal creatures. 美洲虎基本上是夜行动物。 来自辞典例句
• Jaguars (Panthera onca) once ranged from southern South America to theUnited States. 美洲虎曾经分布在北美洲南部和美洲南部。 来自互联网

3 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

4 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

7 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。