Rewilding Argentina has set free the first wild female jaguar translocated for conservation purposes in El Gran Chaco ecosystem in Argentina, where a small, all-male wild population has been dwindling. The action is a genetic lifeline to a species that was destined for extinction until recently. Miní was born free in Ibera National Park to jaguars rewilded by the organization, offspring of Tompkins Conservation.
March 24, 2024—RESISTENCIA, AR Miní, a female jaguar born wild in Ibera National Park, has joined two other female jaguars released by Rewilding Argentina in El Impenetrable National Park, to attempt to recover the species there. It’s the first release of a wild-born jaguar translocated for conservation purposes in the world.
In recent years, researchers found only ten confirmed jaguars remaining in the one-million-sq km expanse of the Argentine Gran Chaco, all of them male. In 2024, Rewilding Argentina released two female jaguars, one born in captivity, and the other rescued in Paraguay.
The reintroduction of females promises a lifeline to South America’s top predator in this unique dry forest spanning Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. Today it’s one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. In size and astonishing biodiversity, the Chaco is second only to the Amazon in terms of ecological importance in South America, though it is largely unknown and undefended.
Efforts to restore the jaguar population in El Impenetrable National Park began in 2018, when a park ranger discovered the tracks of a solitary male jaguar. Named Qaramta, he was collared and monitored, and even bred with captive females brought from the Jaguar Reintroduction Center in Iberá Park, producing cubs for wild release. Since his discovery, one other wild male has been discovered. But without females, their species faces a dead end.
According to Sebastián Di Martino, Conservation Director of Rewilding Argentina, “Argentina is very proud to set free the first wild-born jaguar that has been translocated for release. We know that wild male jaguars are holding out in isolated pockets of Northern Argentina, but they need females, genetic diversity and connectivity to thrive.” He adds, “Today’s action will transform a population from near extinction to a healthy reproductive one, and bring attention to the need to expand protected areas to provide safe habitat.” Di Martino also sees potential for restoring a jaguar corridor beyond the park, which would benefit other species and aid in large-scale ecosystem restoration.
In Argentina, the situation for jaguars is critical. The species has lost over 95% of its original range; the remaining 300 estimated jaguars in the wild are surviving in fragmented populations or alone. Rewilding jaguars in nearby Corrientes Province has been a successful tool in the restoration of the Iberá wetlands, where nature-based tourism has become central to the local economy. Ongoing collaboration between the Argentine provinces of Corrientes and Chaco, and assistance from Argentina’s National Parks Service, have been crucial in implementing a solution.
Kristine Tompkins, President of Tompkins Conservation, congratulated Argentina on the good news, adding, “The Gran Chaco is a vital ecosystem shared by Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, yet few have ever heard of it. I hope Mini’s journey can bring worldwide attention to the challenges facing both the people and wildlife of the Chaco. It’s proof that we can change the trajectory that we’re on and fight mass extinction by working together.”
About Rewilding
Rewilding is a conservation strategy that seeks to recover healthy, complete, functional ecosystems by bringing back locally extinct species and supplementing threatened species. Through the development of nature-based tourism, protected areas with complete and functional ecosystems foster the well-being and pride of neighboring communities.
Rewilding in El Impenetrable National Park
El Impenetrable National Park is currently working to reintroduce the jaguar, giant river otter, marsh deer, red-footed turtle and monitoring tapir. Rewilding Argentina, the offspring of Tompkins Conservation, works within El Impenetrable National Park in collaboration with the National Parks Administration carrying out research, monitoring, and numerous tasks aimed at the expansion of the park, as well as developing an extensive inventory of biodiversity.
Rewilding Argentina receives support from DOB Ecology to restore the Gran Chaco, and from its strategic collaborator Tompkins Conservation, a leader in rewilding and park creation in the Southern Cone.