In Brazil’s prey-rich Pantanal, jaguars reveal a surprisingly social side

Contrary to the common belief that jaguars are solitary creatures, a recent study in Brazil's Pantanal wetland has revealed a surprisingly social side to these big cats. The Pantanal, home to the world's highest jaguar population density, offers ample opportunities for wildlife viewing. Since 2013, researchers from the Jaguar ID project have been conducting daily surveys during the dry season, June to October, collecting photos and videos of the jaguars.

By identifying 459 individual cats based on their unique rosette patterns, combined with citizen scientist data, the team has amassed a "treasure" of information about these elusive felines and their social interactions.

Lead author Valeria Boron, senior program adviser for Latin America with WWF UK, explained to Mongabay that much of what scientists previously knew about jaguars came from camera traps and genetic testing. However, these methods cannot accurately capture the full range of jaguar interactions. Analyzing 13 years of data, the researchers found that the Pantanal jaguars are far more social than previously thought, with significant differences between males and females.

The team documented 167 instances of jaguar pairs interacting, with nearly half involving two males, 31% involving a male and a female, and just 17% involving two females. About a quarter of the interactions were aggressive, while 36.5% were neutral, with individuals resting or hunting independently. This indicates that jaguars may be more social than the common belief of them being solitary predators.