From the Native American word "yaguar," meaning "pouncing killer," jaguars are the America's largest feline, the "Grizzly Bear" of Cats in the New World............Prior to Europeans coming to the America's, Jaguars once ranged from San Francisco down the West Coast, through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and across into Florida and the Carolina's...........Today(outside of one or two "Prospectors" from Mexico traversing through Arizona, breeding populations of "Jags" range from Mexico down through Argentina...........While positioned as "ECOTOPIA" by many in the tourism industry, Jaguars are in a freefall in Costa Rica, with perhaps 10-20 of this majestic trophic carnivore still making a living in Corcovado National Park, La Selva Biological Reserve, La Amistad International Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Tortuguero and Cerro de la Muerte............."The last formal estimate of the jaguar population was in 2005"............. "At that time, about 50 of the animals were believed be living on the peninsula according to INOGO, a joint United States-Costa Rica conservation program facilitated by Stanford University.... ..........."Each jaguar requires a large and exclusive range".................. "Female territories vary from 2,500-9,000 acres, while males need much more space – some estimate as high as 96,000 acres"................ "Male territories overlap the ranges of several females, and males will reproduce with several females during mating season"..................Like all of the worlds large carnivores, Jaguars are in decline via habitat loss, illegal hunting and Rancher persecution............. With small litters separated by periods of at least two years, it is difficult for jaguar populations to rebound unless we human animals give them the space they need to go forth and multiply

PURSUITS(click on title  of article  to read in full) In Costa Rica,  Photographing  Jaguars to Help  Save Them BY JON HURDLE Conservationists and eco-lodges  in Costa Rica are using camera " traps" to record jaguars and assess  the environment.

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