Siete jaguares recorren el corredor biológico que Cerrejón protege en La Guajira

November 29, 2019. In the biological corridor that Cerrejón protects in La Guajira and that will cover more than 25,000 hectares, seven jaguars have been found, whose presence shows the health and restoration of the natural ecosystems of the area, connecting tropical dry forests between the Serranía del Perijá and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

For the second consecutive year, the International Jaguar Day is commemorated worldwide, a date declared to exalt the important role of this specie in the ecosystems where it lives. Since 2016, seven jaguars have been sighted on Cerrejón plots, which had not occurred since 1976 (ten years before mining existed in the department), which shows the good state and health of forests that have been reforested by the company with the planting of millions of trees of native species of the region.

As part of its commitment to generate environmental value for the region and the country, the company advances actions to protect and restore tropical dry forest; one of the most important and threatened ecosystems in Colombia, aimed at promoting the transit and survival of this key species for this ecosystem.

“In Cerrejón we are committed to the care and conservation of threatened species. After the last 40 years, the jaguar was extinct in the Ranchería river valley, however, this animal returned in 2016 to stay. How did it do it? Thanks to the care that has been carried out in the company through the processes of land reclamation and environmental compensation, that seek to connect strategic ecosystems in the region. For us it is a pride to have the presence of these animals that are guardians of the water bodies and protectors of the forests,” said Luis Madriñan, Superintendent of Land Reclamation and Biodiversity of Cerrejón.

This feline, the largest in America, travels from the southern United States to northern Argentina and is threatened by indiscriminate hunting, deforestation, conflict with humans and fragmentation of their habitats (reduced by 50%), reason for which the implementation of actions that ensure their survival becomes increasingly important.

During the next ten years, the company will continue working on the development of initiatives aimed at achieving its protection, involving, through mechanisms such as the establishment of conservation agreements, the communities and families present in the territory, who will be responsible for ensure long-term sustainability of the forest in recovery.

Do you want to know more about this great predator?

• The jaguar is the third largest feline in the world after the tiger and the lion.
• It is considered an umbrella specie, considering that due to its large size and carnivorous habits, it requires large, well-preserved ecosystems, with multiple and abundant food to survive.
• The jaguar, in its natural environment, is the predator par excellence, a precise hunter that consumes all kinds of animals; their diet is varied and includes from mammals to medium fish in shallow water.