Nonprofit helps tackle jaguar attacks on cattle in Brazil’s pantanal

Veterinarian Diego Viana talks about conflicts between the animals and farmers – Personal Archive

Electric fencing around den areas and repellent lights are some of the equipment that can reduce conflicts between farmers and jaguars. The strategy is proposed by the Homem Pantaneiro Institute, which designs and implements initiatives to tackle livestock predation in Brazil’s pantanal biome—the world’s largest freshwater wetland.

“In addition to bringing technology to cattle breeding, we restore strategies that were historically used by the people of the pantanal. The region has had ranching for over 250 years, and the jaguars have always been there,” the institute’s veterinarian and program coordinator Diego Viana told Agência Brasil.

Jaguars are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a “near threatened” species—which does not mean they are out of danger. According to specialists from environmental conservation authority ICMBio, which classifies the animals as “vulnerable,” populations have been severely reduced by the destruction of their natural habitats and poaching, caused mainly by farmers claiming cattle losses.

The new landowner

In Viana’s view, an important driver behind the conflicts between the felines and ranchers is the new profile of local landowners. “Today, the old, traditional landowners of the pantanal—who had always coexisted with the jaguar—are increasingly giving way to landowners from São Paulo, Minas Gerais, or the South,” he argued.

These are the producers benefited by Viana’s reintroduction of traditional practices—such as keeping calves closer to homes, where human activity is greater. “We can’t allow hunting, which has always been common, to continue. There are alternatives. Also, it’s illegal,” he stated.

Winning tactics

Diego Viana explains that the repellent light is near the size of a CD and features LED lamps and a solar plate. The LED lights flash in different colors and at different frequencies. The method has been tested in other countries.

“The jaguar sees that as a foreign element has entered its habitat and will seek to avoid it. The repellent light can be used in conjunction with the electric fencing in emergency actions, as we have done both in confinement areas and in locations where jaguars attack dogs in riverside communities. If you need to do something fast, you can use the repellent lights,” he noted.

The measure must be temporary, Viana remarked, or the animal can grow accustomed to the lighting stimulus.

“We tested it for two and a half months in a confinement area where attacks were frequent. A total of 17 animals had been slaughtered in the two weeks prior to the installation. After the installation, two and a half months went by without any jaguar attacks,” he reported.

In his view, even through an increasing number of landowners have shown interest in the approach, the change is cultural in nature, and may take time to be fully implemented and become widespread.

“The investment to protect the cattle from jaguars is part of farm management and should be seen as such,” he added.

Illegal hunting

The hunting of jaguars, as well as other wild animals, is illegal in Brazil. The only exception is wild boar hunting, which follows specific regulations. The punishment can range from six months to a year in jail, but the penalty is often converted into a fine.

Protection further afield 

ICMBio’s National Research and Conservation Center for Carnivorous Mammals has developed activities aimed at the preservation of jaguars taking into account encounters with landowners.

Another game-changing initiative is ICMBio’s National Action Plan: Jaguar, which includes reproduction in captivity, environmental education programs, and the creation of wildlife corridors.

In the Iguaçu National Park, in Rio Grande do Sul state, the estimated jaguar population grew from 11 to 28 animals between 2009 and 2018. In the Green Corridor area between Brazil and Argentina, the current population is estimated at 105 specimens.