Operación Jaguar is ARCA’s flagship conservation program dedicated to protecting jaguars and other large predators across the Peruvian Amazon. Jaguars are the apex predator of the rainforest and play a critical role in maintaining the balance of Amazonian ecosystems. Yet throughout Peru they face growing threats from illegal wildlife trafficking, retaliation killings, habitat loss, and the illegal trade in jaguar parts.

 

Operación Jaguar was created to confront these threats directly through rescue operations, anti-trafficking efforts, scientific monitoring, and community engagement. By combining field response, conservation science, and education, the program works to ensure that jaguars continue to survive and thrive in one of their most important remaining strongholds: the Amazon rainforest.

 

Through Operación Jaguar, ARCA aims to become a leading force in jaguar conservation and rescue in Peru while helping protect the ecological integrity of the Amazon itself.

 

 

 

Core Program Components

 

 

 

1. Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation

 

 

Operación Jaguar responds to reports of trafficked, injured, or orphaned jaguars and other large carnivores. Animals confiscated from illegal wildlife trade or human-wildlife conflict situations will be brought into ARCA’s rescue and rehabilitation program where they receive veterinary care and long-term management.

 

When possible, rehabilitated animals may be considered for release or placement in accredited conservation programs.

 

 

 

2. Anti-Trafficking & Law Enforcement Support

 

 

Illegal wildlife trafficking remains one of the greatest threats to jaguars in the Amazon. Operación Jaguar works alongside government authorities and enforcement agencies to assist in wildlife crime investigations, confiscations, and emergency animal response.

 

The program also documents wildlife trafficking trends and helps strengthen enforcement efforts against the illegal trade in jaguar skins, teeth, bones, and other parts.

 

 

 

3. Jaguar Monitoring & Research

 

 

To protect jaguars effectively, we must understand where they live and how their populations are changing. Operación Jaguar will establish a network of field monitoring tools including:

 

• Camera trap surveys

• Population monitoring

• Habitat mapping

• Field observations

 

 

This research will help identify priority conservation areas and better understand jaguar presence across the region.

 

 

 

4. Human–Jaguar Conflict Mitigation

 

 

As human activities expand into the rainforest, conflicts between people and jaguars are increasing. Operación Jaguar works with local communities to reduce retaliatory killings by promoting coexistence strategies and providing education about the ecological importance of apex predators.

 

 

 

5. Community Engagement & Education

 

 

Long-term conservation success depends on local support. Operación Jaguar will work with communities, students, and local partners to raise awareness about jaguar conservation, wildlife trafficking, and the importance of protecting Amazonian biodiversity.

 

Educational outreach programs will empower local communities to become active partners in protecting wildlife.

 

 

 

Long-Term Vision

 

 

Operación Jaguar aims to build one of the most impactful jaguar conservation and rescue programs in the Peruvian Amazon. By addressing wildlife trafficking, supporting law enforcement, conducting research, and working with communities, ARCA seeks to ensure that jaguars remain a powerful symbol of the Amazon’s wild future.

 

Protecting the jaguar means protecting the rainforest itself.