THE Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Panthera Corporation and launched  a new partnership aimed at conserving Guyana’s national animal, the jaguar. Guyana is the latest country to partner with Panthera on a regional effort to conserve the species, and facilitate genetic flow among important jaguar habitats. The memorandum provides a framework for research and surveys on the jaguar, public education on the behaviours of the large cat, and the examination of economic opportunities associated with its conservation.
Under the memorandum, Panthera will be providing technical and scientific expertise on conservation priorities, jaguar movement models, and other resources aimed at facilitating long- term benefits to local stakeholders, and the country as a whole. It will also provide a solid foundation for new initiatives to understand and mitigate conflicts between humans and jaguars. These initiatives may include grants for local researchers and research institutions, and the development of a conflict response mechanism to deal with problem animals.
Panthera, which is the world’s leading wild cat conservation group, is currently spearheading the International Jaguar Corridor Initiative – an ambitious plan to conserve jaguars and work with both protected and non-protected areas to ensure that people and wildlife co-exist. With the signing of the memorandum, Guyana will now be in a better position to benefit from this regional project.
The ministry has identified the newly created Protected Areas Commission (PAC) as the focal agency for this important initiative. The PAC will shortly be moving the memorandum  forward with the development of sub-agreements and project documents for on-the-ground implementation. Much of the initial work under the memorandum will focus on research, education, and identifying opportunities for jaguar conservation and related tourism initiatives. (GINA)