Hi everyone!

 I just wanted to share a little bit of information following up from Gwynn's post from last Sunday (1/12) about jaguar hunting in the Pantanal. I know we talked about the jaguar last week in class and how awesome it would be for us to see a jaguar! As many of us may know, the jaguar is an endangered animal found in the Pantanal, and because of cultural phenomena such as jaguar hunting, the population has also seen a decline. The biggest threats to jaguar populations are poaching and the expansion of the farmland in this region.

A conservationist group in Brazil called "Fundacion Boticario de Proteccion de la Naturaleza" started an effort beginning in last August to protect the jaguar, especially through cultural awareness events to foster discussion about the decreasing jaguar population. For example, in Corumba, a city in the Mato Grosso do Sul state of Brazil, hosted an event called "Jaguar Saturday," which included photography exhibitions and environmental workshops to educate the local populaiton.

For those of us who do not speak Portuguese, here is the Google translated version of the foundation's website to browse around on: http://www.fundacaogrupoboticario.org.br/pt/Pages/default.aspx.

As we visit one of the last refuges of the Pantanal this August, it will be interesting to learn more about other conservation efforts and what the people in the surrounding areas feel about the importance of preserving the jaguar after the efforts of groups like Fundacion Boticario de Proteccion de la Naturaleza.

Nicole Dalal