The black jaguar Jataí arrived in Tocantins this Thursday (12). She has two possible partners to help prevent the species from becoming extinct.
At almost 4 years old and weighing 90 kilos, Jataí was born in Paraná. She traveled more than 2 thousand kilometers by road on Tuesday (10).
The candidates are Xamã, aged 7, and Navin, aged 2. The choice of partner will follow ICMBio genetic criteria.
A black-coated jaguar named Jataí traveled more than 2,000 km to live in a reserve in Almas, in the south of Tocantins. In the new home in the Cerrado, there are two suitors available to "date" the female, the Shaman and the Navin.
The jaguar was born in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, and arrived at the Piracema Conservation Reserve, this Thursday (12), to contribute to the conservation of the species, which is threatened with extinction. The transfer was determined by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), responsible for conservation actions for Brazilian fauna.
Jataí weighs almost 90 kilos and is about to turn four years old. Its dark coat arises from a genetic characteristic known as melanism, but it belongs to the same species as the jaguar with its yellowish coat.
"It will be located in an enclosure measuring more than 600 meters², with a natural Cerrado environment. It will have fresh water twenty-four hours a day, coming from a waterfall", explained the veterinarian, Rafael Andrade da Silva.
The jaguar born in Itaipu will help form a new breeding pair in Tocantins.
According to Felix Scorsolini, administrator of the reserve, the arrival of the jaguar is important to expand the genetic diversity of the animals kept there.
"She will be part of our herd of jaguars that help to conserve biodiversity through breeding in captivity. Jataí is very important to us due to the genetics she represents", he stated.
The expectation is that Jataí will form a pair and have cubs in the new reserve, contributing to the preservation of the jaguar, considered the largest feline in the Americas.
The first suitor is Xamã, a 7-year-old male with yellowish fur. He was born in the wild and was sent as a puppy to the Piracema Conservation Reserve by the Tocantins Nature Institute (Naturatins).
Navin is the second candidate. He is a 2-year-old male with a melanic coat, born at the Selva Viva Project, in Taubaté, in the interior of São Paulo. The veterinarian, Rafael, explains that the choice of the male will be guided by guidelines from the ICMBio National Plan.
"The best match will be chosen for her taking into account the best genetic combination", he says.
Jataí was born on November 29, 2022, at the Bela Vista Biological Refuge, in Foz do Iguaçu. She is the daughter of Nena and Valente.
Almost four years later, the black jaguar left the place where he was born and raised to cross Brazil and participate in a breeding program for the species. She left the reserve in Paraná on Tuesday (10), to travel the distance by road over two days.
The Piracema Reserve is located in the municipality of Almas and is home to other jaguars, as well as species such as tapirs, anteaters, peccaries and pumas. Created in 2016, the reserve is a breeding center for jaguars and develops projects aimed at protecting wildlife and biodiversity.
