A male jaguar, previously photographed on the mainland in northern Goiás State, reached Island X in the Serra da Mesa reservoir. Researchers reported the animal covered at least 0.79 miles in open water. The jaguar was identified by its unique rosette markings, confirming it was the same individual seen on the mainland in 2020.
This distance is the longest documented swim by a jaguar. Experts noted that there were no land corridors or bridges connecting the mainland to the island. The alternative route may have included a stop at a small islet, covering 0.66 miles, before continuing to the main island.
Why did the jaguar make such a swim?
Jaguars have been proven to suit their new environments and are efficient swimmers. In Amazon areas, they display amphibious tendencies during periods of floods. Whatever the jaguar's reason for travelling may have been – hunting, looking for a mate, or claiming new territory – the warm waters and islets probably tempted the creature to do so.
What does this say about jaguars and man-made reservoirs?
The research, uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv but not yet peer-reviewed, points out how man-made reservoirs don't necessarily impede jaguar movement. Soft shorelines, riparian cover, and islets can help large cats cross water bodies unharmed. Researchers employed camera traps that ran 24 hours a day to record the jaguar on both the mainland and Island X.
Jaguars live in tropical forests and swamps and generally feed on aquatic as well as terrestrial prey. Being good swimmers due to their habitat preference near rivers, streams, and lagoons, this record-breaking swim proves the strength and provides new information on how jaguars survive in flooded or fragmented habitats.
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