[Animals] Mexico expands the Jaguar Sanctuary: a refuge to rehabilitate the largest cats in Latin America

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In order to promote the conservation of threatened cats, the Jaguar Sanctuary opened a Wild Breeding area to incorporate jaguars into the wild.
One of the biggest concerns that currently exist in Mexico regarding large cats is the fragmentation of their territory. Megaprojects such as the Mayan Train or the wall that crosses the border with the United States have not only invaded their natural habitat, but have rendered po[CENSORED]tions cut off. Part of the Jaguar Sanctuary's mission is to reverse this damage, rehabilitating specimens so that they can once again live in freedom.

Located in the State of Mexico, a few kilometers from the archaeological center of Teotihuacan, this refuge for wildlife is part of Reino Animal: a conservation project that "seeks a balance between animal welfare and environmental education for visitors." , explains Ithiel Berrum, general director of the space, in an exclusive interview with National Geographic in Spanish.

One year after the opening of Santuario Jaguar, the refuge continues to expand. Recently, the space inaugurated its Wild Breeding area. This is what we know about it.

A space for rehabilitation and meeting

An increasingly large team of veterinarians, biologists, guides, engineers, landscapers and maintenance personnel ensures that the Jaguar Sanctuary continues to be a suitable space for cats to recover. More than anything, because the bulk of the po[CENSORED]tion that is being rehabilitated there was seized by the authorities.

In collaboration with the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico (SEMARNAT), hundreds of rescued jaguars have been received in the last year. "We must know that the jaguar is a threatened and declining species," emphasizes Berrum. Above all, due to the ecological pressure that human beings exert on their ecosystem and habitat.

Looking for a genetically diverse po[CENSORED]tion

As a veterinarian graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the specialist knows that the sanctuary plays a key role in two ways:

It is a space to concentrate a genetically viable po[CENSORED]tion for controlled reproduction.
It allows human beings to get to know the problems that the species faces, based on an "educational thematic route that visitors take in the Jaguar Sanctuary", details the director of the space.
For this reason, the director of the Jaguar Sanctuary is clear that the collaboration between "the business sector, universities, government and other conservation centers". More than anything, adds Berrum, because a large amount of economic resources is required to maintain a refuge of these dimensions in the necessary conditions for the fauna.

Due to the magnitude and impact that the project has had, Santuario Jaguar is hosted by the Kinder Sorpresa and Kinder Chocolate brands. In this regard, Solange Massimi, director of Public Relations and Corporate Communication for Ferrero de México and Central America, emphasizes the importance of children visiting this type of space:

"[...] IT IS A ROBUST, WELL-ESTABLISHED AND GROUNDED PROJECT THAT HELPS THE NEW GENERATIONS TO SEE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ANOTHER WAY", HE CONCLUDES IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IN SPANISH.

https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/santuario-jaguar-inaugura-un-area-de-crianza-salvaje/