The jaguar (Panthera onca) the latest reports of its presence and its presence in the culture of El Salvador

Abstract

Jaguars (Panthera onca) are the largest cats in America and the only representative of the genus Panthera. The jaguar is an apex predator, an indicator of the health of the ecosystems in which it lives. Despite its wide distribution, its populations have been gradually extirpated from its natural range (Ceballos et al. 2018). It is categorized as almost threatened on the Red List of Species (WWF-World Wildlife Fund, s.f.). The jaguar was the lord of animals and a divine symbol. This feline was related to power, the night and the underworld, the fertility of the earth and even death. The Jaguar is an animal that appears represented throughout Mesoamerican territory throughout history (Solís et.al 2009). It is practically extinct in the United States, El Salvador and Uruguay. Their populations are spread across 18 Latin American countries: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, French Guyana, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil (WWF, s.f.).