CRT, AgroSuperior INC. and the BAC San José have united forces with the scientists of the University of Costa Rica and the National University to carry out a basic investigation that will generate pertinent information for the conservation and protection of the jaguars in Costa Rica, as well as their hábitats.
The study intends to determine the genetic variability of wild and captive jaguars of Costa Rica by analysing molecular scoreboards from samples of droppings, blood and other tissues.
The jaguar is the largest wildcat in America. The male adult can reach a total length of more than 7 feet and can weigh from 250 to 400 pounds. The color of their fur and marks are very similar to that of the leopard, with a yellow fur with large black spots. Tha Jaguar has a large head, compact body and very strong legs. Black jaguars also exist, and just like the leopard, the spots can still be seen in black individuals. Albino individuals have also been reported.
The idea arose from the need to obtain more genetic information about the jaguar, since the majority of the existing information is of ecological and morphological character. In the year 2005, investigators from the University of Costa Rica decided to take advantage of the tours that were carried by various groups of the National University which studied jaguars in the National Parks Corcovado and Guanacaste to collect samples of wild droppings. They also proposed to study all the individuals that were found in captivity in the country. In the year 2006 the collections of blood in captivity were initiated for the assembly of an extensive and comprehensive database. In the middle of the 2007 the three businesses mentioned previously approached to give support to the program developed by the University of Costa Rica.
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