Jaguar (Panthera onca) food resource use and its interaction with humans: scoping review

Abstract

A scoping review was conducted to map, summarize, and understand the extent of evidence on jaguar (Panthera onca) food resource use and its interaction with humans. A total of 105 studies were identified in electronic databases: 57 analyzed jaguar food resource use, and 48 described jaguar interactions with humans. The studies were published in 51 journals, mainly in English, from 1993–2021 in 14/19 countries where jaguars live. The evidence demonstrated the variability and prey consumption of the jaguar; there are contrasting results regarding the diversity of prey consumed. The frequency of livestock predation was found to be related to the abundance and availability of natural prey and the distance of ranches from the jaguar habitat. The interaction of the jaguar with humans presented an interesting and contrasting picture, since the perception of the jaguar varied depending on the sociocultural context and the study site. The results showed a negative effect of human activities on the distribution and density of the feline, and there was evidence of poaching and attacks on humans, although the information was insufficient to determine the causes in depth. More research and dissemination are needed on these issues at the local level in the regions where the jaguar lives, as these are the areas where decisions and actions are needed to conserve the jaguar in coexistence with communities and livestock.

Drivers of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) predation on endangered primates within a transformed landscape in southern Mexico

“…Our results show that primate predation by jaguar and puma in our study site was surprisingly high compared to that of other wild mammals found in the area and compared to previous studies of large cats' diet in Mexico (Aranda & Sánchez-Cordero, 1996;Galindo-Aguilar et al, 2022;Piña-Covarrubias et al, 2023;Rubio-Rocha et al, 2023). This is a marked difference from the general understanding that Neotropical primates are not usually targeted as prey TA B L E 1 Frequency of occurrence (FO) in predator scats and relative biomass (RBC) of prey consumed by jaguars, pumas, and large cats in the Uxpanapa Valley, Mexico.…”

“…Overall, both species are displaying a general trend of population decline (Nielsen et al, 2015; Quigley et al, 2017), and their conservation status will probably worsen in the near future (Hayward et al, 2016; Zanin et al, 2016). Jaguar and puma are obligate carnivores and opportunistic hunters, highly dependent on a good prey base of medium to large sized mammals (Ávila‐Nájera et al, 2018; Paviolo et al, 2018; Hernández‐SaintMartín et al, 2015; Novack et al, 2005: Rubio‐Rocha et al, 2023). Their prey use varies greatly depending on geographical location, but both have a similar primary prey base consisting of peccaries, large rodents, deer, and armadillos (Foster et al, 2010; Foster & Harmsen, 2022; Galindo‐Aguilar et al, 2022; Piña‐Covarrubias et al, 2023).…”

“…The rarity of felid predation on primates is readily apparent in the Neotropics (Hart, 2007), with studies showing felids tend to significantly avoid carnivores and primates as prey, while all other broad taxonomic groups are usually killed in accordance with their abundance (Hayward et al, 2016; Rubio‐Rocha et al, 2023) and vulnerability (Magioli & Paschoaletto, 2021). Predation rates on atelid primates, including howler ( Alouatta spp.)…”