Large Felid and Peccary Habitat Use in Isolated and Contiguous Forest in Panamá: Implications for Conservation

A recent study confirms the presence of jaguars and suggests local extirpation of white-lipped peccaries in Cerro Hoya National Park (CHNP), an isolated remnant of tropical rainforest in Panamá. The research, conducted using camera trap surveys from 2014 to 2015, compared habitat use patterns between CHNP and Darién National Park (DNP), a larger contiguous forest area. Findings revealed that both jaguar and puma populations were negatively affected by anthropogenic disturbance and preferred habitats at higher elevations, with jaguars showing a stronger preference for elevated terrain than pumas. Peccary species exhibited uniform habitat use across sites, unaffected by environmental covariates. The study highlights the critical role of CHNP as one of the last remaining forest habitats outside Panamá's Central Cordillera, emphasizing its importance for wildlife conservation efforts in the region.

Fort, J. L., Suriyamongkol, T., Nielsen, C. K., Carver, A. D., Moreno, R., Meyer, N. F. V., & Groninger, J. W. (2022). Large Felid and Peccary Habitat Use in Isolated and Contiguous Forest in Panamá: Implications for Conservation. Tropical Conservation Science, 15. https://doi.org/10.1177/19400829221138009