Misionera Forest
The jaguar (Panthera onca) find in our province of Misiones one of the places with the highest number of protected areas.
This forests, also known as Upper Paraná Atlantic Forests, brings jaguars a relatively good protection in the jungle block at the north of the province, mainly in Iguazu National Park, the State Parks Puerto Peninsula and Urugua-í (especially the northern area) and the Natural Reserve of the Defence Puerto Peninsula. Added to these is San Jorge Private Reserve of the forestry company Arauco, whose location is key because it connects and close the block. The Yaguaretés used even forested areas, especially those where bands of native forest (called Shapewear Ecologic) are left.
South of Route 17 there still exists a jungle block of about 50,000 hectares where good condition persists, although there are no state protected areas and that threatens their long-term preservation. This area located in the center of the Green Corridor is critical because it is a very understudied Core Zone, has only a few hectares under private protection and poaching is still very high.
Some Jaguars still reach the Cuñá Pirú Valley and a little further south, because of the connection of forests with industrial pine plantations that still allow them to move through the central mountains of Misiones. However, this area has been historically high risk due to conflicts that are generated with neighboring farmers, who historically killed them in retaliation when attacking his property. Recently (since 2012), the work done by the Jaguar Network/Red Yaguareté with the Ministry of Ecology to seek a harmonious coexistence, is bringing a glimmer of hope for a stable subpopulation possible in the area. It is urgent zoning and creation of new protected areas to the north, before connectivity is interrupted by habitat transformation irreparably.
Yabotí Biosphere Reserve and surrounding areas, totaling about 300,000 hectares, still harbor Yaguaretés. Despite logging that exists in the area, there have been no large clearings and the main threat is hunting, because the area is very extensive and has a long border with Brazil, where entering many groups of hunters to seek prey on the other side of the border are no longer.
It has been declared Provincial Natural Monument (a legal figure), thus providing an absolute protectionist status. The reality is quite another face. The large area of forest that remains in Misiones, although it is a small percentage of the original extent, remains an area of difficult control and protected areas -a despite the great efforts of many guards- are subject to poaching.