Paper short abstract:

In Venezuela, jaguars are listed as Vulnerable species; their numbers are rapidly declining. The experience of Proyecto Sebraba in protecting jaguars highlights the importance of including the local community within conservation work.

Paper long abstract:

In Venezuela, jaguars are listed as Vulnerable species in the Red Book of Venezuelan fauna, with their numbers declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation caused by the expansion of the agricultural frontier, the decline of prey species, the increasing conflict between jaguars and livestock, and their use for religious rituals. The jaguar population of the South of the Maracaibo Lake is considered critical due to its isolation - caused for expansion of livestock and oil palm crops. In the boundaries of these protected areas, the conflict with local community is higher due the predation of jaguar on livestock. These conflict often results in the killing of these big cats. In 2011, the Proyecto Sebraba team started a jaguar population assessment, involving also local hunters and fishermen to support the tracking of jaguars. Involving hunters in the jaguar conservation team had a vast beneficial impact on the project, as hunters realized the importance of protecting jaguar to preserve the entire ecosystem. This process resulted in a positive attitude change towards jaguars’ conservation. Today these hunters are the main project field assistants and promote jaguar conservation with the rest of their communities, including young generations. As a result, we gained the trust of the community – including hunters and farmers who now support anti-predatory strategies to conserve this big cat. This shows the impact of engaging the local community, not only through environmental awareness, but also through their participation and knowledge sharing in different aspects of the conservation work.