Jaguar Conservation in Canandé: A Key to Protect the Ecuadorian Chocó
The roar of the jaguar once echoed through most of the Americas from the southern US to northern Argentina. But over time, this majestic sound has slowly faded. Since pre-Columbian times, the jaguar’s range has been reduced in half because of hunting and habitat loss. Today, between 64,000 and 173,000 jaguars remain in the Americas, but their numbers continue to dwindle. Fewer than 1,500 jaguars remain in all of Ecuador, and most of those are in the Amazon basin. In western Ecuador, less than 150 jaguars remain.
The Ecuadorian Chocó of the 1930s was a landscape of endless forest, alive with incredible diversity. Unfortunately, less than 3% of this primary forest remains. Logging companies cleared massive areas of old growth. African palm plantations sprang up and fragmented the forests that remained. The destruction of these forests left ever more fleeting traces of jaguars. Jaguars vanished completely in the central part of western Ecuador, south of Canandé, some time in the last 10 years.
In the midst of this devastation, our Canandé Reserve brings hope. Created in 2000, we expanded the reserve over time to now cover more than 44,000 acres (nearly 18,000 ha). In just 25 years, the Chocó in Canandé has been reborn. Previously cleared pastures that we protected in the reserve became forests once again, and wildlife has returned.
While we always knew jaguars were present in Canandé, we did not know how many, or where, until now. Our recent jaguar monitoring in the reserve has brought astonishing discoveries. Using 92 strategically placed camera traps in Canandé, we identified 11 individual jaguars — 8 females and 3 males, mostly adults. These findings are significant: it means that our Canandé Reserve, which spans over 44,000 acres, protects at least 7% of Ecuador’s western jaguar population. This represents one of the highest jaguar densities in the Chocó bioregion.
Each of these jaguars was identified by their unique pattern of spots, known as rosettes, which are as distinctive as fingerprints. Thanks to images taken from two different angles at each monitoring site, we were able to identify their rosettes and compare one jaguar to another. In total, more than 500 photos and videos were meticulously analysed to produce these results, revealing the stories that these elusive felines carry in their fur. One of the camera traps even captured an unexpected moment: one jaguar, curious, chewed on the camera, examining this strange object in its path with intrigue and suspicion.
These results gave us a preliminary glimpse into the behavior of jaguars in Canandé. These felines prefer areas with abundant prey, such as peccaries, and steer clear of places with significant human activity. A key finding is that jaguars use the landscape strategically, moving through forest corridors where they find food and shelter. Knowing this allows us to prioritize strengthening ecosystem connectivity to ensure their survival.
The camera traps also revealed the presence of hunters in certain areas. As forests disappear, jaguars may pose a threat to livestock. In response, retaliatory hunting is not uncommon, increasing the risk of conflict between humans and jaguars. With more information about where the activities of jaguars and humans overlap in the Canandé watershed outside of our reserve, Jocotoco is working with local communities to build a future where jaguars and people can coexist. Through workshops we alleviate fears and promote the importance of the jaguar to the ecosystem. We teach practices such as sustainable livestock management and the use of dissuasive tools to reduce human-wildlife conflict. These initiatives focus not only on jaguar conservation, but also on improving the livelihoods of families living in the region.
Protecting this keystone species safeguards the stability of the rainforest ecosystem. Through this monitoring, we have captured valuable insights into the jaguar’s world: the watchful gaze of the dominant male, a female searching for food, and the stealthy movements of these elusive cats throughout the forest. Your support is essential to ensure the protection of the Chocó's last healthy jaguar population. Donate here.
