Jaguars face major threat from Amazon deforestation and fires

Jaguar

A jaguar on the banks of Cuiaba river in Brazil

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Fires and logging in the Brazilian Amazon pose a major threat to South America’s biggest cat, according to an analysis of jaguars (Panthera onca) and their protected areas.

Brazilian researchers have found that the apex predator’s last strongholds in the rainforest are also the sites with the most severe human pressures, including fires lit to clear land for cattle ranches.

A team led by Juliano Bogoni at the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil say the research pinpoints …

source: newscientist.com