Rare black jaguars caught on camera in Panama
Two melanistic jaguars have been documented by camera traps in Panama’s Mamoní Valley.
Researcher Kimberly Craighead with the Kaminando—Habitat Connectivity Initiative working there says they have identified 15 individual jaguars in the area, which is covered in primary and secondary forest.
In addition to the two melanistic animals there, the team knows of three others elsewhere in Panama.
Melanism is thought to be caused by habitat characteristics, particularly humidity: studies indicate that it occurs more frequently in humid forests.
A jaguar roars in front of a camera trap in Panama’s Mamoní Valley. The video lasts only 11 seconds, but it provides a valuable glimpse at this iconic animal of the Central American forests.