Entramos a un CENOTE siguiendo huellas de un JAGUAR... y pasó esto.

This Jungle Chronicle, in collaboration with Jaguar Wildlife Center A.C., takes us to a unique setting: the caves of the Yucatán Peninsula. The cenotes and cave entrances connect two extraordinary worlds: the jungle and the Mayan underworld, which holds one of the largest aquifers on the planet. Despite the omnipresence of cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula, relatively few studies have been conducted on their use by mammals (with the exception of research on bats). But camera trap footage demonstrates that caves and cenotes are important for the mammals of the Yucatán Peninsula, and their protection is key to the conservation of the area's wildlife. The fauna we typically record with camera traps in the jungle enters caves and cenotes in search of water, shelter, rest, and even to hunt! Due to the porous nature of the limestone bedrock, little surface water is available on the Yucatán Peninsula; water deposits are underground and accessed through the entrances of caves and cenotes. However, these are fragile ecosystems that are currently being polluted and overexploited by irresponsible tourism, frenetic, speculative, and poorly planned urban and infrastructure development, the pig and cattle industries, and poor waste management, among other factors. This threatens the health of these subterranean environments, endangering the biodiversity and natural beauty of the cenotes. Let's protect the caves and cenotes to safeguard the biodiversity that sustains life, water, and our own history. Through these Jungle Chronicles, we want to inspire curiosity and empathy for wildlife and nature, and promote the conservation of all these ecosystems. Bibliography: Coutino, Aaron, Stastna, Marek, McNeill-Jewer, Chelsi, and Reinhardt, Eduard. (2021). Inland Tidal Oscillations Within the Yucatan Peninsula. Geophysical Research Letters, 48. 10.1029/2020GL092091. Vernes, Karl, and Devos, Fred. (2022). Use of cenotes and the cave environment by mammals on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Biotropica, 54. 10.1111/btp.13111. 🔔 Follow us for more Jungle Chronicles with other camera traps 👍 Like if you're passionate about nature 💬 Tell us: What surprised you the most?