WE CELEBRATE YOUR EXISTENCE, BEAUTIFUL JAGUAR

A message from SAVIA – November 2021

The jaguar is undoubtedly a charismatic and emblematic species, largely due to its appearance and aesthetic qualities that reflect strength, power, and beauty. Several pre-Columbian cultures have attested to this, and some present-day indigenous peoples still revere it.

Beyond these attributes of image and cultural and spiritual significance, the jaguar is a fundamental part of natural ecosystems, regulating the subtle and almost invisible ecological connections that determine their stability and continuity, thus becoming an indicator of the good health of the ecosystems it inhabits. Furthermore, because of the large areas it requires to live, when we protect the jaguar, we also protect all the species that coexist with it, including humans, which is why we call it an "umbrella" species.

In every Latin American country where the jaguar exists, a warning light flashes, ranging from orange to bright red, due to the massive and accelerated destruction of its habitat, especially forests, and to retaliatory hunting for attacks on livestock—livestock that replaces its forests and leaves it without natural prey. The warning light also flashes due to the incursion of large criminal groups from other continents, seeking to profit from its fangs, claws, and other parts.

In Latin America, including Bolivia, economic interests are driving a relentless race to clear and replace forests with commodities such as minerals, soy, meat, and energy, increasingly jeopardizing the jaguar's survival. It is true that in every country where it lives, it is threatened, some even critically endangered, but despite this, it continues to bravely fight for its survival.

And what can we do? Obviously, we must continue to denounce these violations without fear, but also continue to spread the message of its importance in the delicate balance of nature, continue to depict it in beautiful murals and paintings, continue to train honest and committed people who, in their role as public servants, have faith in a better Bolivia; continue to encourage research on the jaguar, and most importantly, continue to educate new generations of children in all regions so that they admire and respect it, and one day teach their own children that the jaguar is a fundamental part of Bolivia's richness and beauty.

Congratulations, beautiful Jaguar! We celebrate your existence!