“I love all big cats and jaguars in particular. I like jaguars because they’re resilient. They’re smart. They’ve covered a lot of territory in a stealthy manner and kept themselves alive throughout the Americas. They pretty much keep to themselves. And they’re drop dead gorgeous.

It’s just a dream for us to have jaguars out in the Ibera wetlands in Argentina again. They were hunted to extinction in the 1930s. It also sets a standard for what’s possible in rewilding. It’s probably the biggest and most difficult bringing back of an extirpated species we’ve ever done. It really tells us that, given the right circumstances and the reason they went extinct in the first place have largely been removed, you can bring back almost anything.

The day they walked through the gates into freedom was incredibly emotional for us. We’d worked so hard on it. But also, it’s about beauty. The air and the lungs of Ibera are filling back up. It was incredible.

Corrientinos in Ibera province have for a few hundred years found in the jaguar their personal spirit, their fighters, their brave, their independence. They were so enthusiastic about seeing them return. When we freed the first three, it was celebrated across the country and province.”

www.tompkinsconservation.org
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My Big 5

Jaguar
Giant Otter
Black Rhino
Puma
Huemul