93 The largest cats in the Americas and a keystone species, jaguars were declared locally extinct in Argentina’s Corrientes province more than 70 years ago. Now, Rewilding Argentina is relocating captive jaguars, getting them acclimated to living in the wild, and releasing them to resume their natural roles in Iberá. De Angelo advised researchers on using GIS-powered maps and analysis to track jaguar movements and measure their impact on the ecosystem. A Deeper Understanding Together, Iberá National Park and Iberá Provincial Park form the largest protected area in the country. The parks are home to 4,000 plant species and a diversity of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. Part of the legacy of Tompkins Conservation and its mission to protect and rewild the earth, Rewilding Argentina has reintroduced anteaters, pampas deer, red and green macaws, and peccaries since its founding in 2010. Tapirs and the giant otter are the next to be reintroduced. Each time, GIS has been critical to the process. The technology provides a snapshot of the ecosystem before species are released. Then it supports monitoring of distribution, behavior, and interactions once the animals are in the wild. Adding the jaguar—the region’s top predator—required a deep understanding of the area’s complex ecological systems. The team relied on GIS technology to help answer essential questions: Where should the jaguars live? Will they be able to hunt natural prey? How many jaguars can the park support? De Angelo and his team began by monitoring other animal populations. By inspecting predator-prey relationships, they saw patterns critical to ecosystem health and stability. The researchers also mapped numbers and locations of marsh deer, capybaras, and other prey to determine suitable jaguar habitats. Mapping the Connections The first jaguars were released into the park in 2021. Leading up to their release, De Angelo collected jaguar data from the Pantanal, a similar wetland ecosystem in Brazil, to model ideal habitats and predict behavior. Rewilding researchers use this data as a baseline to draw comparisons and insights about jaguars released in Iberá National Park. They take mobile devices into the field to record information and images with GIS apps such as ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS QuickCapture, and ArcGIS Field Maps. The collected data syncs to the team’s GIS database and populates interactive maps. Researchers then use GIS analysis to understand and monitor jaguar interactions with prey, vegetation, and other animals. De Angelo leveraged this data to create a risk map for capybaras, the jaguars’ main source of food. Capybaras had been living in Iberá without a predator for decades. What used to be a place for them to freely forage, relax, and sleep is now an area where they need to be strategic amid a predatory threat. Drone imagery syncs to GIS maps, giving the research team a bird’s-eye view. When the map shows capybaras clustered together—a behavior adopted to protect themselves—the team knows that’s an area where they feel threatened. Conservation A map reveals the areas—shaded in dark and light green—that are most suitable for jaguars in Iberà National Park. Map by Carlos De Angelo/Proyecto Yaguareté, courtesy of Rewilding Argentina.
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