Researchers Study Jaguar Feces

Researchers are studying the feces of threatened animals living on Emas National Park in Brazil, for clues on their behavior and what can be done to protect them.

The project’s analysis of the jaguar feces showed that they rarely moved outside the protected park into the more deforested surrounding farmland, as they require the healthy ecosystems of conserved environments. The researchers also analyzed the feces for data on the jaguar’s diet, hormonal stress and parasites.

The project was run by Conservation International, an organization that works to find economical ways to conserve natural habitat and species. Aside from the jaguar, they studied the tapir (a pig-like mammal), giant anteater and maned wolf.

--LiveScience Staff

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Image Credit: Reinaldo Lourival, Conservation International