GC in the News - Protecting Jaguars in Calakmul, Mexico

A jaguar is captured and about to be collared while going through a health check by jaguar biologists.
Photo: Daniela Medellín

By Astrid Arellano – Originally published in Spanish on Mongabay Latam.

Don Francisco Zavala walks slowly along a path he knows perfectly. It's four in the morning, and although it's almost pitch dark, his mental map—drawn by decades of traveling through that area—allows him to confidently guide a caravan of vehicles that follows him and waits for his signal. He has the final say on the route. The headlights of the pickup trucks dimly illuminate the dirt road that winds through the imposing Mayan jungle. In that vast, silent landscape, everyone is looking for the same thing: jaguars.

In his youth, he was a hunter. Now, at 84, he roams the trails of the Laguna Om Ejido in Quintana Roo with a completely different vision. Behind him, a pickup truck transports his team: young local former hunters, now converted into conservationists, and a pack of dogs trained to track the elusive Panthera onca. Melissa, a dog expert in the task, leads the search with Zavala. Together, they identify tracks, scratching posts, droppings, and hiding places in the areas they are familiar with.

Caravan of vehicles searching for jaguars. First up is the truck transporting the jaguar dogs.
Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

"This dog, the moment she starts pulling, it means she's already smelled something," Zavala explains, holding Melissa's leash. "When she starts getting desperate, barking, and peeking around, it means the smell is fresh."

But finding jaguars in the jungle is no easy task. Zavala—or Don Pancho, as he's better known—has been working for more than two decades with the team at the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Laboratory of the UNAM Institute of Ecology , using dogs as a non-invasive method to capture felines for scientific purposes.

Jaguar dogs are trained with scents resembling those of jaguars. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

It's a complex task, as jaguars are very adept at escaping. However, together they have managed to fit them with GPS satellite tracking collars to facilitate their study and develop conservation strategies. In 2025, they set a goal of capturing four individuals in different weeks between March and April. Mongabay Latam accompanied them during three tracking days in early March in Laguna Om.

“Now I really had to find a way to use the damage I had done to the jaguars, because I killed them in the first place, to contribute to conservation,” Zavala explains. “And I'm still doing that now.”

Don Francisco Zavala, a former hunter, serves as the leader of the team of tiger dog experts.
Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

As former hunters and local residents, Zavala and his team know where the elusive cats tend to roam. They, with keen intuition, guide the researchers to the jaguar, almost always sheltering high in the trees that tower over the jungle. There, cornered by the tigrero dogs—as the pack members are known—the jaguar is sedated with an anesthetic dart and carefully lowered to the ground with ropes.

Specialists ensure the animal is in good health, taking samples, performing morphometric measurements, weighing it, and fitting it with a satellite tracking collar before it is awakened and released back into the wild.

Veterinarian Berenice Portillo is responsible for anesthetizing the jaguar and ensuring its health during the collaring process. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

The Jaguar Camp

The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve is Mexico's last great tropical rainforest. It is part of the heart of the Mayan Jungle and a vital biological corridor between the Yucatán Peninsula and the Petén region of Guatemala. It is a 728,908-hectare sanctuary that is home to more than 350 bird species, nearly 100 mammal species—many of them endangered, such as the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), the Central American tapir (Tapirus Bairdii) , and the puma (Puma concolor)—as well as 80% of the entire Yucatán Peninsula's plant species. It is also estimated to be home to some 500 jaguars and is one of the few places in Central America capable of supporting a viable population of this species.

However, this invaluable biodiversity hotspot faces growing threats, primarily from the conversion of rainforests into agricultural land, as well as invasions, illegal logging, and the arrival of the Mayan Train. In September 2023, the Mexican government amended the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve decree to create the Gran Calakmul region, with more than 1.5 million protected hectares, which now comprise the Balam Kin Flora and Fauna Protection Area and the Balam Kú Biosphere Reserve, as well as seven Voluntarily Designated Conservation Areas (ADVC) of ejidos and communities. In the final total of the region, experts estimate the presence of more than 1,200 jaguars .

In this vast territory, almost on the border with the state of Campeche, lies the Laguna Om Ejido. This community has one of the largest forested areas in southern Quintana Roo, where a group of ejidatarios (communal landowners) decided to certify 35,000 hectares of their territory as a Voluntarily Designated Conservation Area (ADVC), transforming a forestry exploitation area into a conservation zone.

Since 2016, that same space has housed the Laguna Om Biological Station , where scientists from the National Alliance for Jaguar Conservation are developing a research project on the feline population that lives in the surrounding area.

“I have always believed that the key to conserving biodiversity is involving all stakeholders, and one of the most important is the landowners,” says Heliot Zarza Villanueva, a biologist and professor at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) and one of the leaders of the jaguar project.

The dining hall and meeting center at Camp Jaguar, in Laguna Om. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

“The ADVC declaration not only protects jaguar habitat but also that of many other species. Furthermore, several people from the community are involved in the project, whether as guides, assistants, or in camp logistics. Laguna Om is where we have truly made significant progress in understanding the spatial and behavioral ecology of jaguars—such as movement patterns and activity schedules—based on information from satellite GPS collars. We estimate there are around 50 jaguars here ,” says Zarza Villanueva.

Las Palmas Lagoon, in the Laguna Om Ejido. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

Nights at the Jaguar Camp , as the biological station is also known, are punctuated by insects and howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra), which occasionally let out their deafening howls. The cabins and tents where the specialists stay are on the shores of Laguna Las Palmas , a body of water surrounded by large trees and inhabited by crocodiles and the feared nauyaca snake. Birds such as the collared kingfisher and the red-fronted kingfisher also fly above the area, often perching on the branches and posts of an old wooden bridge.

That early March morning, when the caravan of former hunters and specialists left the camp, Don Francisco Zavala and Melissa detected the trail of a jaguar along the path they were exploring together. So, when the dog tugged on the leash and insisted on a route, the former hunter gave the order to unleash the rest of the pack: Tranqui, Guapeche, Zafira, and Franco ran into the jungle.

Behind the dogs are Christian Coyoc Romero and Abraham Figueroa Payán, two young, experienced trainers. They advance, keeping an eye on the pack while hacking and slashing, clearing the path so biologists and other specialists can safely enter the jungle once day breaks.

The community and scientific team are making their way into the jungle. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

They came close. The dogs located and tracked a jaguar, which, with surprising agility, managed to evade them and disappear into the jungle before being caught.

“In addition to being extremely intelligent, jaguars have extraordinary camouflage,” says Abraham Figueroa Payán. “If you look up in the trees, you can't find them. They can be sitting five meters away from you and you won't see them. The animal watches you but doesn't attack; it remains motionless. In Mayan culture, only the strongest warriors could capture them,” the young man explains.

A jaguar about to be captured for the fitting of a GPS satellite tracking collar in Laguna Om. Photograph from 2016. Photo: Daniela Medellín

Coyoc and Figueroa are part of a community team that has grown stronger over the years. They are joined by Don Manuel Cetina, an experienced guide who knows the area and its old timber harvesting trails well. He was a former driver of a vehicle that transported timber to the ejido's sawmill. Also on hand is Josué Payán, a young man in charge of camp logistics, who is following in Don Francisco Zavala's footsteps to inherit his leadership as he approaches retirement.

“Right now, we're training Josué to stay, because I've told them several times that I want to retire,” says Zavala. “I don't walk much in the mountains anymore; my back is bad. But this is something I like. And I like talking to young people and bringing them to see this because protecting these little animals is very important.”

From left to right: Francisco Zavala, Josué Payan, Manuel Cetina, and Abraham Figueroa. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

Within the ejido (communal land), in addition to practicing forestry with various activities such as honey production and sustainable timber harvesting, community members clear firebreaks, opening spaces in the forest to prevent the spread of fires. A notable aspect of this effort is that half of the fieldwork team is made up of women, and the ejido is even led by a woman who serves as its president. At the camp, the community's women are responsible for feeding the entire research team.

The biological station's specialists agree that, by finding opportunities that benefit their economy, the ejidatarios have fully committed to conservation, recognizing that their well-being and the care of nature are closely linked.

Don Manuel Cetina and the jaguar dogs during a jaguar tracking expedition in the Laguna Om Ejido.
Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

“These ejidos own the land, so it's their responsibility to manage it. This represents a unique opportunity to provide them with financial resources, training, and assistance so they can permanently protect large tracts of forest,” says Jeff Morgan, director of Global Conservation , which has been working for six years to support jaguar research efforts and the protection and monitoring of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.

Agriculture, development, and cities have destroyed many of the country's forests, Morgan recalls, so Calakmul represents the last chance to save Mexico's last intact tropical forest.

The Jaguar's X-ray

Since 2010, the National Jaguar Census (Cenjaguar) has been a key tool for understanding the conservation status of this feline, listed as endangered in Mexico. Its second edition, conducted in 2018, recorded 4,800 specimens. This number represents a 20% increase compared to the first census, which recorded 4,000 jaguars. The results of the third edition, with sampling conducted between March and September 2024 by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the organizations that make up the National Alliance for Jaguar Conservation, will be revealed in May 2025.

However, scientists say the results are encouraging: in most of the 22 sites sampled, which include jaguar habitats and corridors from Sonora to Chiapas on the Pacific coast and from Nuevo León and Tamaulipas to the Yucatán Peninsula on the Gulf coast, the jaguar population has remained stable or increased since the previous census.

"This is great news because, despite the deterioration that has occurred since 2010 in terms of environmental loss, the advancement of mega-infrastructure, and the fact that the population is more Mexican-populated, there are more jaguars," says Gerardo Ceballos, director of Cenjaguar.

Jaguar captured by a camera trap in Calakmul, Campeche. Photo: Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Laboratory

During the census, jaguar cubs were also recorded at 8 of the 22 sampled sites , demonstrating that these sites have populations that are reproducing, even under conditions with some degree of human impact.

In addition, the presence of 66 other mammal species, apart from Panthera onca , was documented in the largest number of sampled sites, where the coati (Nasua narica), the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), which are important prey for the jaguar, appeared in good numbers. Similarly, 16 different types of vegetation were identified, which represent suitable habitat for the survival of the jaguar, where low deciduous forest predominates.

Jaguar cub photographed at Laguna Om in 2019. Photo: Daniela Medellín

In this context, the Laguna Om Ejido takes on a very important role. Being so close to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and being a community forest reserve that includes traditional activities such as livestock, agriculture, and forestry, "it allows us to get a snapshot of what the jaguar requires to survive and how it is affected by these human activities," Ceballos adds. "That is, it is more in line with the reality of what a species like the jaguar has to face, but it also provides elements so we can provide answers."

Biologist Daniela Medellín Alvarado explains that, in the case of Laguna Om, 120 square kilometers are continuously monitored with 40 camera traps, where 12 jaguars were recorded in the most recent census. "This particular site has one of the highest densities of jaguars , very similar to that of Calakmul," says the doctoral student in zoology, who specializes in the ecology of jaguar movement.

GPS satellite tracking collars. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

“It's a lot, considering that an individual, on average, can have an area of ​​between 80 and 160 square kilometers,” the biologist adds. “We're talking about animals that take up a lot of space, and to find 12 individuals in such a large area, I think it's quite significant. What does that tell us? That there obviously have to be more jaguars .” Cubs have also been recorded in the ejido every year since 2016, without exception. Some have even been seen growing into adults.

On the left, biologist Daniela Medellín during the capture of a jaguar in the Laguna Om Ejido in 2019. Photo: Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Laboratory

In addition to photo trapping, the use of satellite GPS collars has provided key information on how jaguars interact with the landscape and respond to human pressures. Based on the locations recorded by the collars every two hours, movement patterns have been identified and one of the main threats to the species, roads , has been studied in greater detail .

These routes fragment their habitats, directly affecting landscape connectivity and exposing jaguars to hazards such as vehicle collisions. Research like this provides evidence to drive conservation actions, such as wildlife crossings, speed reduction measures, and infrastructure improvements, to mitigate these threats.

As shown on the map, one of the main threats to jaguars is roads. Map: Rebeca Calanoce

The most important lesson from all this, experts agree, is that if the visions of residents, local, state, and federal authorities, scientists, conservationists, institutions, and the private sector, among other stakeholders, can be articulated, successful strategies can be achieved that lead, as in this case, to the recovery of the country's jaguar populations, with projects that are strong enough to confront pressures such as organized crime, illegal logging, land invasions, hunting, and megaprojects.

A particular example is the construction of the Maya Train , a mega-project promoted by the government of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and executed by the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena). Data from Cenjaguar and contacts with Mexican authorities, according to its collaborators, helped ensure the train's route crossed the buffer zone and had the least possible impact on the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Records of jaguars and their prey also served to justify the need to implement a greater number of wildlife crossings.

Portion of section 7 of the Mayan Train in Quintana Roo, in the buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

Hydraulic infrastructure and wildlife crossings on the Escárcega-Chetumal Highway. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

“The entire train route has around 1,000 wildlife crossings. When we conducted the jaguar studies, we identified 300 crossings to maintain forest connectivity, but then we realized that the entire hydraulic infrastructure could also be converted—with a few modifications—into wildlife crossings, with spaces between one and three meters high. These projects are now beginning to be monitored with camera traps to evaluate their effectiveness,” Ceballos explains.

In total, the construction of the train affected the reserve by almost 14 hectares, says José Alberto Zúñiga Morales, director of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. “But those 14 hectares would have greater consequences, especially if the connectors, wildlife crossings, and adequate water passages weren't built as we requested. There was criticism that Sedena repeatedly moved the route, but it wasn't because they wanted to but because we were pointing it out,” Zúñiga maintains.

The Lord of the Mountain

On his cell phone screen, Abraham Payán shows a video he took of his mother-in-law. María Teodosia Villarreal, of Mayan origin, teaches him how to make a request in her language to the Lord of the Mountain, asking him to open the jungle paths for him and his companions. She shows him how to make an offering of corn tortillas, a drink, and fruit in gratitude.

“I told her, ‘Mami, make a request in Mayan so that the Lord of the Mountains will allow me to catch the jaguar and protect us.’ She did so because we know that this was all Mayan territory and that the Lord of the Mountains is still there, in the prayers and watching over the forest and the trees. Although I am not Mayan, I also have deeply rooted beliefs—like many in this region—that we follow to the letter,” Payán says.

In the recording, the old woman explains, “You have to ask God to allow you, to do you a favor, to help you, the most powerful God of all. You have to tell him you're not going to kill him [the jaguar], because only God knows how animals live, but we want to live with them. You have to ask from the four corners of the world, looking where the sun rises. Everything you offer, the team has to eat it before we begin, from the heart.”

From left to right: Manuel Cetina, Abraham Figueroa, and Josué Payán. Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa

In Don Francisco Zavala, Payán sees his own grandfather reflected in him. He used to roam the jungle with him as a child, and he taught him the secrets of the forest so he wouldn't get lost. He also learned to hunt with him, and at the same time, he taught him to respect the life of the forest and not to kill for the sake of killing.

“He told me that, no matter how small the things we do may seem, they matter a lot,” Payán says. “I grew up in the mountains and I know that hunting isn't a bad thing, because it's in our blood and we do it for survival, to feed the family. I regret it because years ago I didn't have that awareness of caring and protecting a little more. Now, as an adult, I realize I messed up. But I think we're on the right track; it's a small chain, and others will follow.”

The next time he enters the jungle with Don Francisco Zavala, Melissa, the rest of the pack, his team, and the specialists, Payán says, he'll perform the ritual his mother-in-law taught him. Perhaps that way they'll be able to find the big cat hiding in the woods.

GPS locations on the collars of dogs Tranqui and Zafira during a jaguar tracking expedition.
Photo: Isabel Mateos Hinojosa