The camera traps of the Las Oncas Foundation – focused on the long-term monitoring of jaguars in the Osa Peninsula and the Talamanca Mountain Range as well as the protection of their environment – recently captured Negro. He is a large black jaguar that roams large areas of that sector and does so alone.
Tico Haroutiounian, head of Las Oncas and a photographer specialized in conservation, said that Negro is a jaguar that is rarely seen – at least on cameras – and that he was captured for the first time in 2021.
The last time was recorded on November 29 in a sector whose exact location is not revealed to protect the animal. This is because there are few species of the so-called melanic jaguars (it is estimated that there are nine in the entire area, according to past records from Las Oncas).
The melanic jaguar is a variant of the common jaguar (Panthera onca) that has a predominantly black coat. This is due to a genetic condition known as melanism. This condition is due to a higher concentration of melanin, the pigment responsible for the color in the skin and hair.
The status of this black jaguar
Haroutiounian explained that, in light of the video from the camera trap, it can be inferred that Negro is in “very good health, that he eats well and is a dominant male.” In fact, he is confident that this black jaguar will maintain its condition and reappear soon, as long as the conditions for preserving its habitat are maintained.
Currently, Las Oncas has 30 camera traps located in specific sites in the Talamanca and Osa mountain ranges. The installation and maintenance of each one is possible thanks to the sponsorship of different companies, which allows for constant monitoring of the felines in these areas, commented Haroutiounian.
Jaguars in Costa Rica
Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños, an academic at the International Institute for Conservation and Management of Wildlife at the National University, detailed the status of the jaguar in Costa Rica.
Firstly, she regretted that common jaguars – of course melanistic jaguars – face significant threats in America, including habitat loss, poaching and conflicts with humans. This places this species among those most threatened with extinction.
One of the greatest risks that contribute to this delicate reality in the region is the illegal trafficking of parts of the animal’s body, although this has not been reported in Costa Rica, Sáenz-Bolaños emphasized.
Regarding the presence of jaguars in Costa Rica, the specialist highlighted these places:
Guanacaste Conservation Area (especially around the Rincón de la Vieja volcano.
Tortuguero National Park
Barbilla National Park (between the provinces of Limón and Cartago)
Talamanca Mountain Range
Forests near the Central Valley
In the past there was a significant presence in Corcovado, she indicated. But it is no longer as significant as in the aforementioned sites. In the case of black jaguars, they seek areas such as Talamanca and near San Ramón for their dense and cold forests.
However, Costa Rica as a whole is a key piece in the protection of jaguars in America. Hence, both she and the head of the Las Oncas foundation call for taking care of the habitat and avoiding hunting, not only of this species but of its prey.
Jaguars are carnivores and are considered super predators in their ecosystems. Their diet is extremely varied, since They feed on more than 85 different species, both terrestrial and aquatic. “It is an incentive that these melanistic jaguars continue to be reported,” concluded the UNA specialist.
