A Rapid Assessment of the Trade and Trafficking of Jaguars
New Assessment Reveals Jaguar Trade Patterns and Emerging Risks Across Latin America
A rapid assessment by Go Insight provides an indicative overview of jaguar (Panthera onca) trade from 2016 to 2025, building on the 2021 CITES study. The findings (available in English and Spanish below) show that while understanding of the trade has progressed, significant knowledge gaps remain, and several trends highlight important dynamics in illegal activity.
Analysis of CITES trade and documented jaguar crime incidents indicates that at least 775 jaguars were recorded in trade across 77 countries over the past decade. CatByte documented 283 jaguar-related crime incidents across 26 countries, with Mexico, Brazil, and Bolivia consistently reporting the highest numbers.
Over the past decade, illegal trade has consistently involved more jaguars than CITES-regulated trade, though both show broadly similar fluctuations over time. Almost half of the jaguars documented in trade are live individuals, with 58% (n = 200) regulated through CITES and 42% detected in illegal trade. Jaguar cubs have been recorded in trade in several countries across the region.
Five commodity types account for 95% of jaguars documented in illegal trade, with live animals, skins, skulls, and teeth dominating. Bones are rarely involved: only two incidents have been detected since 2016, and CITES data similarly show minimal trade in bones and skeletons. Gaps may persist due to challenges in identifying processed bone material.
Documented cases also indicate that jaguar trafficking sometimes occurs alongside other forms of criminal activity, pointing to links with organised crime in several countries. Additionally, online activity – particularly in Brazil and Mexico – further demonstrates the relevance of digital platforms for advertising and exchanging wildlife products.
Call to Action:
Donors, multilateral bodies, and national governments should prioritise multi‑year funding packages that combine intelligence, operational support, capacity building, technology, and community incentives.
Only by aligning resources with strategic, evidence‑led interventions can these organised networks and trade routes be meaningfully disrupted. In addition, strategies to reduce and prevent human-jaguar conflicts should be integrated into these efforts to address underlying drivers of illegal trade and strengthen coexistence.