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The jaguar named Boyrá, whose name is often translated from Guarani as “treasure of the jungle,” was recorded again near Iguazu Falls. Camera-trap images provide valuable information about this elusive animal and its behavior.
In an important record for biodiversity conservation in Misiones, the Iguazú National Park documented Boyrá, a male jaguar previously recorded in 2020 on the Brazilian side of the protected area. A camera trap recorded him again on December 15, 2023, as part of the park’s monitoring program. The images show him investigating the remains of a tapir, offering insight into his feeding behavior. This was a notable new record, though not necessarily his second sighting: he had been recorded in the region before.
The jaguar lives in the area around Iguazu Falls, but it is very difficult to see in the wild, and no encounter can be guaranteed.
The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas. It measures approximately 230 to 260 cm in total length, including its tail, and 65 to 80 cm at the shoulder. It usually weighs between 50 and 100 kg, although some individuals have exceeded 130 kg. Its body is compact and muscular, with a broad head and powerful jaws. Its short coat is generally golden or ochre, with a pale underside and black rosettes, many of which contain smaller spots. Each jaguar has a unique pattern. Melanistic jaguars, which have very dark coats, also occur; their spots may be visible in certain light.
The jaguar’s scientific name is Panthera onca.
Common names include jaguar, tiger, yaguar, uturunco, nahuel or nawel, overo, and onça-pintada. Names vary by language and region.
Historically, the jaguar’s range extended from the southern United States to northern Patagonia. Today, it survives in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America, but its range has become fragmented. In Argentina, it remains in the Yungas, the Selva Misionera, and parts of the Chaco. The species is considered critically endangered in Argentina. A 2024 binational monitoring study estimated an average of 84 jaguars in the Selva Misionera and neighboring areas of Brazil, while a 2025 statement from Argentina’s National Parks Administration estimated fewer than 200 jaguars across the country.
The jaguar is the largest feline in Latin America and the third largest in the world, after the tiger and the lion. It is considered an indicator of environmental health because it needs large areas of habitat and a healthy supply of prey. Protecting the jaguar and its habitat also helps conserve other species and the ecosystems on which people depend.
The jaguar has a relatively short tail, rounded ears, and large paws. Its coat is usually ochre or golden, with distinctive rosette-shaped spots. Each jaguar’s pattern is unique, like a fingerprint. It has a robust build, a proportionally large head, and powerful jaws. According to Argentina’s National Parks Administration, it measures about 230 to 260 cm in total length, including the tail, and weighs between 50 and 100 kg, although some individuals have exceeded 130 kg.
The jaguar has a varied diet and hunts large vertebrates such as tapirs, peccaries, and deer. It also feeds on pacas, agoutis, coatis, capybaras, caimans, turtles, lizards, birds, and fish.
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Female jaguars reach sexual maturity at around 2 to 3 years of age, while males do so at around 3 to 4 years. After mating, the pair separates, and the female raises the cubs on her own. Gestation lasts approximately 90 to 110 days, and a litter usually consists of two cubs, though it may include one to four. Cubs begin eating meat while still young, continue nursing for several months, and may remain with their mother for up to two years.
Jaguars live in the area around Iguazu Falls, and camera traps and field observations have documented them in the region. However, they are solitary and elusive, so seeing one during a visit is unlikely and cannot be guaranteed.
If you do see a jaguar, keep your distance, stay inside your vehicle, do not feed or disturb it, and notify park staff or the relevant authorities.
