Jaguar expedition

The male jaguar is a shy elusive creature living within the limits of a large defined territory. This is the largest cat of the neotropics and the tracks and majority of sightings occur along the shores of eastern lowland rivers in Ecuador. It is most active during the early morning, sunset and night although it may be seen during rainy days even in the early afternoon.

The name Jaguar comes from an Indigenous language which means “kills with one jump” and spends 50% of its day hunting over a territory covering between 26 and 40 km2. It is a good swimmer and prefers to hunt during dry season along the banks of rivers looking for capybara, tapir, deer, white-lipped and white-collared peccaries, caimans, turtles, etc. The jaguar has also been known to follow monkey troops.

To search for a jaguar is adventurous but great patience is necessary and this may be a long task spending hours paddling rivers and requires many early mornings and late evenings. Fortunately, they also like clay-licks and this may mean spending the night hiding and waiting for this great cat. They regularly follow human trails and hunt on sand beaches. Taking photographs is difficult but if our guests happen to meet “El Tigre”, as it is known in Spanish, they will have an unforgettable experience. Jaguar sightings are never guaranteed but a partial refund is available should you not encounter this amazing cat.

We at Wildlife Amazon have knowledge of the various territories of individuals of the jaguar in Yasuní National Park (YNP) and offer a special tour specifically designed for this purpose. All of our tours begin in Coca Ecuador and we follow the jaguars schedule during peak hours on a day tour, night tour or both. Off peak hours will be left for observing other forest species such as birds and primates. Please note that this camping tour requires a minimum of 8 days.

Do not hesitate to contact us should you require any information of the specialized fields listed below. We are available to design a tour to your specific interests.