Jaguars are the largest cats in the western hemisphere and their populations are on the decline, currently listed as ‘near threatened.’ Part of what has made it so tricky for scientists to encourage their survival is the elusive behavior of these cats. Eduardo Carrillo ’00G initiated a study in 1994 at Corcovado, Costa Rica, guided by Todd Fuller, natural resources conservation, to take a look at the reproductive habits of jaguars, their hunting behavior, and changes in their populations. With the help of two Costa Rican scientists, they are performing some cunning work that employs camera traps, radiotelemetry, and direct observation. Among their findings: female jaguars give birth in the wild every 22 to 24 months and they switch focus from hunting nesting sea turtles to peccaries every two weeks or so.
