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CITES Study on the illegal trade in jaguars (Panthera onca)In accordance with Decision 18.252 Parties, especially those that are range States of the jaguar(Panthera onca) and relevant stakeholders, are encouraged to take action to:a) support the preparation of the study referred to under paragraph a) of Decision 18.251;b) respond to the Notification as described in paragraph c) of Decision 18.251;c) recognize the jaguar (Panthera onca) as the flagship species of its range countries so that theprotection and conservation of the species and its habitat becomes a joint priority;d) urgently adopt comprehensive legislation and enforcement controls aimed at eliminating thepoaching of jaguars (Panthera onca) and illegal trade in their parts and derivatives, including onlinesales of specimens;e) promote the design and implementation of conservation corridors between range countries of thejaguar (Panthera onca), strengthening cooperation mechanisms on a local, national and regional levelin order to promote good conservation practices, channel investments to the conservation of thespecies, reduce the threats to the connectivity of its habitats, and strengthen the capacities of themain players involved;f) raise awareness about the importance of the jaguar, its role in the ecosystem and the threats itfaces, including illegal trade;g) participate in conferences and workshops, among other events, in order to share experiences andknowledge about the priority issues identified to combat illegal trade in jaguars (Panthera onca); andh) consider making a voluntary contribution to conduct the study or implement its recommendations.Data collection, sources of information and methodsIn an effort to provide a comprehensive understanding of the illegal trade in jaguars, a wide range ofsources were consulted for this study. Official seizures were obtained from the CITES annual reportson illegal trade that are managed by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) and includedin the UNODC’s World WISE Database. Also included in this Database are seizures from other globalwildlife trade databases, including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Law EnforcementManagement Information System (LEMIS), the European Union’s Trade in Wildlife InformationExchange Database (EU-TWIX) and reports submitted independently by national governments. Adifferent set of official seizure data was obtained from governments’ responses to CITES Notification055/2020, which requested inputs for this study. Twenty governments, including 15 range States(Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France (French Guiana), Guatemala,Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname) and five non-range countries(China, Czech Republic, Serbia, United States1 and Uruguay), responded to this request and in additionto official seizures, provided official reports on the characteristics of the illegal trade in jaguars in theirterritories (uses, drivers, modus operandi, impacts). Additionally, a non-systematic literature searchwas conducted, adding 247 academic, media and grey literature reports. To these other literary andseizure inputs were added, collected by consulting 32 national and international experts and key1While the south-western tip of the United States is part of the jaguar range, the country has not been assessedas a jaguar range State in this report, due to the small and transient nature of its jaguar population. However,data on the illegal trade in jaguars in the United States is provided in Chapter 4.8

CITES Study on the illegal trade in jaguars (Panthera onca)informants, and by gaining access to other wildlife trade databases like TRAFFIC’s Wildlife Trade Portal,and to records shared by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).Information challenges and limitationsA key conclusion of this study refers to the multiple challenges and limitations of the evidence that iscurrently available on the illegal trade in jaguars. The three main sources of information consulted inthis study (i.e. the UNODC’s World WISE Database, government responses to CITES Notification055/2020, and the general literature, including inputs obtained from a stakeholder consultation),presented important differences (and inconsistencies) in the scale and trends of seizures and reportsof poaching an illegal trade in jaguars, and in the markets of illegally traded jaguar specimens. Thesedifferences make it particularly challenging to ascertain, based on the limitations of the fragmentedinformation currently available, whether the illegal trade in jaguars is in fact increasing or not, andwhich are the main international and domestic markets for jaguar body parts. Moreover, all sourcesrevealed serious biases in reporting on the illegal trade in jaguars and poaching of the species acrosscountries, and a concerning lack of information and examples of effective law enforcement. Theselimitations stress the need for improved information systems on jaguar poaching and illegal trade, andof stronger law enforcement capabilities. These evidence deficiencies also mean that stakeholdersinvolved in addressing the illegal trade in jaguars should consider a wide range of sources together toobtain a more comprehensive understanding of this threat, and be particularly cautious about theimplications of data fragmentation, biases and limitations.Poaching and the illegal trade in jaguar specimensInformation on the quantities, characteristics and trends in seizures and reports of poaching and illegaltrade in jaguar specimens was analysed and presented separately for each of the three main types ofinformation sources consulted in this study: 1) the UNODC’s World WISE Database; 2) governmentresponses to CITES Notification 055/2020 requesting inputs for this study, and 3) the general literature,including inputs obtained from a stakeholder consultation and other wildlife trade databases. Thisseparation was meant to account for the sources’ differences in origins, methods and formality (officialvs. unofficial accounts).The UNODC’s World WISE Database contained 120 official jaguar seizure records for the years 2000 to2018, involving 179 specimens (or 101 whole organism equivalents). Seizures remained relativelystable in the past two decades, averaging 6.3 incidents per year, with the highest number of incidentsoccurring in 2017. The country with the largest number of seizures was the United States (49.2%)followed by Mexico (18.3%), Germany (5.8%), France (5%), Guatemala (4.2%) and French Guiana(2.5%). All remaining countries had less than two seizures in that period. The most commonly seizedjaguar body parts were skins (23%), teeth (21%) and live animals (12%). Peru was the most frequentsource of shipments of jaguar body parts (19 out of 78 records containing country of source - 24.4%),followed by Bolivia (14.1%) and Mexico (11.5%). The United States was the most frequent shipmentdestination (58 out of 76 records containing destination country – 76.3%), followed by Germany (5.3%)and China (4%).Based on jaguar poaching and seizure data submitted by 15 range, and five non-range State authoritiesin response to CITES Notification 055/2020, which requested inputs for this study, the number ofillegally traded jaguar body parts varied greatly by country, from one specimen reported by Serbia, to603 specimens reported by Bolivia. Most countries presented their seizures either as isolated incidentsor in an aggregated format, not permitting the evaluation of temporal trends. Out of those with yearlyreports (Bolivia, Peru, Suriname and the United States), the number of seizure events and specimensseized varied by country and time-frame, presenting both increasing and decreasing trends. The most9

CITES Study on the illegal trade in jaguars (Panthera onca)frequently seized specimens were jaguar teeth (totalling 689 teeth across reporting countries),followed by live animals (103), skins (65), and undefined jaguar products (63). The number of reportedjaguars poached in jaguar range countries (not necessarily due to illegal trade) ranged from one inMexico to 369 in Panama, with varying time frames. A few countries, including Argentina, Brazil,Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Czech Republic and Serbia presented evidence either suggestingor confirming the existence of international illegal trade in jaguar body parts (seizures made at airportsor border areas). Overall, there was limited evidence of international illegal trade in jaguars providedby countries, and the number of seizures for those with confirmed evidence were low.Based on poaching records and seizures reported in the academic, media and grey literature, or sharedby relevant stakeholders, countries with higher reported annual jaguar mortalities caused by poachingwere Bolivia (with an average of 61 reported jaguars poached per year), Brazil (54), Venezuela (31),Suriname (17) and Panama (12). With regards to seizures of jaguar specimens, Bolivia also had thehighest annual averages of seized or illegally traded specimens (30, whole organism equivalents),followed by China (12), Belize (9), Suriname (6), Peru (6) and Venezuela (6). Teeth were the mostcommonly traded items according to the literature. Jaguar poaching and illegal trading events(including supply, trade, or demand/possession) occurred in most Latin American countries and oftenoverlapped geographically, but illegal trade incidents were not limited to the jaguar range and alsotook place in urban areas, ports of exit or smuggling routes. Since the literature sources analysed inthis study were collected in a purposive way and they varied in type, methods, quality and detectioneffort, it is not appropriate to draw conclusions about trends in reporting on jaguar poaching or illegaltrade in jaguars, nor in the number of reported incidents or specimens seized from this dataset.However, systematic searches of jaguar seizures in the literature (such as Morcatty et al., 2020), havedetected increasing trends in jaguar seizures and in the number of illegally traded specimens over thepast decade, and the sources analysed herein point to a similar conclusion.Uses of jaguar specimensJaguars are part of the identity, artistic traditions, myths, and rituals of multiple past and modernindigenous societies in Latin America, and they also have a cultural significance for mixed ethnicitycommunities that coexist with the species throughout its range. Cultural and social motivations behindthe use of jaguar body parts, along with other commercial and non-commercial drivers of use at thedomestic level, have not received substantial research attention, but they are widespread and canoccur at potentially unsustainable scales. Based on all sources consulted in this study (includinggovernment information and literature reports), almost all jaguar body parts are used at the domesticlevel. Jaguar teeth are the most sought-after jaguar part, being used as jewellery, symbolizing braveryand status, or as spiritual amulets. Skins are used to make traditional costumes or decorative wallhangings, as well as a wide range of garments and accessories such as purses, hats, belts and wallets.Skins, along with skulls and taxidermies serve as trophies, or as proof of effective predator control.Jaguar cubs are kept as pets or sold as attractions for private wildlife collections. Small items like claws,tails, paws, and organs have a range of decorative and medicinal uses. Jaguar fat was reported as akey item by several studies, being used to allegedly treat a wide range of illnesses, from rheumatismto asthma, and also serving as a natural protection against crop raiding animals. Jaguar meat was alsoconsumed for nutritional and cultural reasons.There is less robust evidence about the uses of jaguar body parts outside of jaguar range States. Thisremains one of the most significant gaps in current knowledge about the illegal trade in jaguars. Theuses of jaguar body parts in the United States, Germany and other European countries, which hadjaguar seizures reported in the UNODC’s World WISE Database, have received limited attention andremain largely unknown. While media coverage of international illegal trade in jaguars has assumedthat jaguar body parts are being used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as substitutes of tiger body parts,10

CITES Study on the illegal trade in jaguars (Panthera onca)this hypothesis currently holds little weight due to the overall limited seizure evidence of ‘jaguar paste’(boiled bones and flesh) or other jaguar-based medicinal products in China or elsewhere. On the otherhand, existing seizures of China-bound jaguar teeth suggest that these items may be used in China asstatus-granting collectibles, as part of the Chinese subculture of ‘Wenwan’. However, there is limitedresearch or confirmed information on the uses of jaguar body parts in China. Jaguar body parts arealso used to make jewellery, handcrafts and souvenirs for domestic and foreign tourists. Jaguar bodyparts’ prices vary widely, suggesting large information asymmetries in the market.Drivers behind the illegal trade in jaguarsThe consulted sources provided key insights into the multiple drivers of the illegal trade in jaguars.Domestic markets and traditional uses of jaguar body parts make jaguars a target of demand, whileforest dependent livelihoods like hunting for wild meat, logging, non-timber forest product collectionand mining, increase the odds of accessing jaguars. Negative attitudes towards jaguars caused by fear,and by the emotional and financial losses imposed by livestock-depredating jaguars, lead to retaliatorykilling and to a compensating usage of the resulting body parts. These incidents are ever more frequentdue to encroachment of jaguar habitat by cattle ranching and the advancement of the agriculturalfrontier. Financial incentives from the high prices of jaguar body parts make jaguar poaching anattractive complement to rural livelihoods, and also attract people with higher incomes. Demand fromforeign markets has emerged as yet another driver of poaching and the illegal trade in jaguars. Jaguarbody parts have been smuggled to the United States and Europe, but the characteristics of demand inthese countries is not well understood. Seizures of jaguar body parts in countries like Bolivia andSuriname, which were either destined to China or illegally traded by jaguar traffickers of Chinesedescent (unconfirmed nationality and migratory status) have highlighted the role of Chinese wildlifemarkets in the demand for jaguar body parts. Tourism, involving both domestic and foreign tourists,offers another opportunity to sell jaguar crafts and souvenirs to a wealthier consumer base. Forcountries like Peru, Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, tourism is a well-evidenced driver, with multiplejaguar body part seizures made at crafts shops, restaurants, hotels and facilities located at touristdestinations. The desire to possess live jaguars as household pets or as part of private wildlifecollections, as tourist attractions or for personal enjoyment, was identified as another driver of theillegal trade in jaguars. Trophy hunting, though banned throughout the jaguar range, was a lesscommon but persisting driver of jaguar poaching and of the illegal possession and trade in jaguarspecimens.There is limited empirical evidence on the relative importance of these divers on jaguar populationswhen compared to each other, and to other threats facing jaguars, such as habitat loss. However, bothopportunistic poaching associated with domestic markets, traditional uses and local livelihoods, andhuman-jaguar conflict appear to be responsible for the greatest numbers of poached and illegallytraded jaguars. Addressing these drivers can become a challenge in the presence of several contextualand institutional factors that facilitate the illegal trade in jaguars in range countries, including a lack offinancial and human resources for adequate enforcement, corruption, legal deficiencies, and lack ofawareness about jaguars and their legal status. Tackling poaching and the illegal trade in jaguars willrequire multifaceted strategies that focus on the multiple drivers and enabling factors behind thesethreats, from increased enforcement to detect and stop transboundary illegal trade, to awarenessbuilding, behaviour-change, human-wildlife conflict mitigation approaches and habitat conservation.Modus operandiJaguar poaching occurs opportunistically, when poachers encounter jaguars by chance, orintentionally, when poachers explicitly search for jaguars following attacks on livestock, for illegal sporthunting activities or for trafficking purposes. Targeted poaching also occurs by order of traffickers or11

CITES Study on the illegal trade in jaguars (Panthera onca)consumers. Jaguar poaching orders are delivered in different ways, including through the use of wideaudience communication channels like radio broadcasts or paper flyers posted in public spaces, socialmedia, or by directly approaching potential suppliers and establishing illegal trading networks. Themethods used to kill jaguars resemble those used during the commercial hunting of spotted cats forthe fur trade until the 1970’s, including specialized active and passive capture tactics and luringmethods. Poached jaguars, or their body parts, are transported by roads or rivers from the forest tovillages, tanneries, saddleries, shops and other facilities for processing. They are then sold at customerfacing outlets (e.g. craft markets in tourist areas, jewellery shops), online platforms/social media, orthrough networks of trusted friends or family. Seizures involving illegal international trafficking ofjaguar body parts have confirmed the use of postal services and commercial air travel to smugglejaguar body parts. While the involvement of organized criminal groups in the illegal trade in jaguarshas been suggested, and few countries like Bolivia and Brazil present more structured trade networks,verified examples suggest that the illegal trade in jaguars remains a largely opportunistic and informalactivity. More research and enforcement efforts by range State authorities are needed to confirm theinvolvement of organized criminal groups and the degree to which the illegal trade in jaguars may belinked to other crimes.Impacts of the illegal trade in jaguarsDespite its great adaptability and strength, the jaguar is a slow reproducing species that occurs atnaturally low densities, and which is sensitive to humans. The impacts of poaching and the illegal tradein jaguars will depend on each country’s specific jaguar conservation status (and vulnerability to otherthreats such as habitat loss), levels and characteristics of poaching and illegal trade, and ability torespond to these threats given their current legal systems and institutional capacities. Based on anexploratory qualitative analysis of these factors, it was possible to determine that jaguar populationsthat are small, fragmented, and highly endangered by other threats such as habitat loss (such as thoseoutside of the

Ministerio del Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales de Nicaragua Ministerio de Ambiente de Panamá Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego de Perú, Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre . Universidad Autónoma de México Yaguará Panama Foundation Special appreciation is extended to the governments of Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, .