The first successful case was that of the sisters, Isa (pictured below) and Fera (pictured above), jaguars who lost their mother at a young age and were successfully reintroduced into the Pantanal. After careful adaptation, they did not require support when they returned to nature: they integrated into the population of jaguars in the region and now live normally in their natural habitat. The success of this project was confirmed in 2018 with the birth of cubs from the two free-living jaguars.
Our Work
Rewild
Monitoring, rehabilitation and reintroduction of threatened species.
photo: Adriano Gambarini
Rehabilitation and reintroduction processes are important tools for the conservation and recovery of populations of endangered species and, today, we have three Wild Animal Reintroduction Centers (Reserva Santa Sofia and Caiman Pantanal (Pantanal) and Pousada Thaimaçu ( Amazon), totaling seven reintroduction enclosures.
Isa and Fera
Pandora and Vivara
In mid-September of 2016, Onçafari in partnership with NEX (Brasília) received two jaguar sisters with only a few days old. They were sheltered by the NEX team until June 2018, when they were transferred with the assistance of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to the reintroduction site of Onçafari in the Amazon forest, located at Pousada Thaimaçu. In this enclosure of approximately 15,000m², the two sisters went through the same processes as Isa and Fera in the Pantanal biome. After 12 months of a lot of behavioral observation and hunting training, Vivara and Pandora were released at Reserva do Cachimbo, an extremely preserved area belonging to the FAB. Currently the two sisters are doing very well, adapted to the new region, monitored through their GPS collars and by camera traps.
Main steps to reintroduction
Jaguar health and behavior are evaluated and a study conducted to determine the feasibility of reintroduction to life in the wild.
The animals are introduced to an enclosed area similar to their natural habitat, where they can learn to hunt. They are observed and assessed by the Onçafari team and partners.
When they are deemed ready to be reintroduced into the wild, GPS radio tracking collars are fitted on the animals for round-the-clock monitoring after their release.
Jaguars and pumas are monitored to assess whether they are capable of dealing with all challenges imposed by nature. If necessary, they are rescued again for aid.
