Monitoring and protecting Jaguars in costa rica
Las Oncas is an organization whose mission is the study and conservation of the last jaguars in the South Pacific area of Costa Rica. Las Oncas aims to collect crucial information and enlist each of the individuals that still remain alive in these remote and wild areas. Through strategic partnerships, rigorous methods, and innovative initiatives, the team at Las Oncas is dedicated to effectively monitoring and protecting jaguars and their ecosystems.
jaguar
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is America’s largest wildcat, but due to its elusive behavior, it remains one of the least known.
As an APEX predator, it sits at the top of the food chain, playing the role of regulator by preventing the proliferation of its prey and thus maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. Furthermore, it is an 'umbrella species,' which means that its needs encompass those of many other species.
Since its development requires a perfectly healthy environment, protecting the jaguar means protecting the entire ecosystem of which it is part.
Camera Traps
Equipped with motion sensors and night vision, camera traps capture wildlife day and night in high definition.
Installed in the jungle, they allow exceptional observations. Thus, the scientific data generated allows us to estimate the number of jaguars, their sex, their areas of movement, as well as to observe rare and undocumented behaviors, the abundance of prey, or even to discover new species.
This data is shared with the Ministry of the Environment, the biologists and the researchers concerned.
Our mission
Bring back a healthy population of jaguars in the Osa Peninsula
The biggest threat to Osa Peninsula jaguars is genetic decline from isolation. The largest jaguar population in Costa Rica is nearby in the Talamanca Range, and reconnecting these areas is crucial for their future. This goal is central to Las Oncas’ mission.
Creating Las Oncas Conservation Reserve
After years exploring Costa Rica's wild rainforest and monitoring jaguars, we have identified two key conservation areas outside national parks. Protecting lands from the Talamanca Range to the Osa Peninsula is crucial to strengthening jaguar populations. By setting up basecamps on both ends, we enable research and action in prime locations to achieve our mission.
Establishing the Jaguar Corridor
Our conservation reserve will become part of a vast biological corridor vital for jaguars and other endangered species. Supported by several conservation groups, this network of protected areas is essential to the future of the Osa Peninsula’s jaguars.
How you can support us
ADOPT A JAGUAR
$215/year
By becoming a jaguar adopter, you will get the chance to follow one of Las Oncas wild jaguars through their journey through Costa Rica’s Jungle
Sponsor a Camera Trap
$2,280/year
By sponsoring one or several camera traps, you are playing a crucial role in gathering valuable data that is essential for estimating the jaguar population in Costa Rica.
Fund the Jagmobile
Custom Donation
To operate effectively within our range of action, we are raising funds to purchase a new vehicle capable of tackling every challenge we will face in the jungles of Costa Rica.