Young predators in unfamiliar terrain

Animal: Jaguars

When young predators leave their mother, they also have to look for a new territory. Various populations of a species join together to do so and can even establish a completely new population in the process. They move around extensively, often passing through areas which humans have settled in or developed. The young animals are inexperienced – they are only familiar with their home territory and have little knowledge of how to avoid dangers in such environments.

Researchers hope to deploy the Icarus transmitters to identify the routes of jaguars in landscapes dissected by roads and urban settlement. This will also provide an insight in the criteria jaguars use to look for their path. Cameras installed in the transmitters will document how the roaming animals react to conspecifics and human settlements which represent danger for them.

Location: Central and South America

Contact: Roland Kays, Nature Research Center, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, USA