Jaguars in Brazil increase in study site following wildfire

In response to a large-scale wildfire in 2020, jaguar abundance increased at a study site in the Brazilian wetlands that already had one of the largest jaguar populations in the world. The site is about five hours from the nearest town, and people can only access it by boat. Researchers had been studying jaguars (Panthera onca) at the federally protected study site since 2014. As a result, the team was able to review video footage captured before, during and after the 2020 fire. The researchers discovered that immediately after the fire, jaguar activity declined. However, over time, they rebounded and increased in abundance one year after the fire. Scientists spotted individuals before the fire at similar rates after the fire, indicating that resident jaguars survived. In addition, more jaguars arrived from other areas. “Finding even more jaguars and other mammals in the study area following the 2020 wildfire and extreme drought suggests that it may serve as a climate refuge, buffering the effects of extreme climate events,” said Charlotte Eriksson, a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University.

Read the study in Global Change Biology.