Being the co-organizer of the Symposium on the Ecology and Conservation of the Jaguar and other Neotropical Cats. What message do you want to spread when constructing, hosting, and teaching in this event?
Although the focus of this meeting is to bring together jaguar researchers to share their research and experiences with conservation initiatives, for the upcoming meeting we are placing and emphasis on incorporating students and early career stage researchers to promote their participation.
After studying and working with these carnivores for years, are there any misconceptions the general public has about jaguars that you are eager to clear up?
The biggest misconception is that jaguars are to be feared. It is natural for someone to think that a large carnivore like the jaguar would pose a threat but, unlike tigers, lions, and leopards, there is no evidence for unprovoked attacks by jaguars. Certainly, they need to be respected, but not feared.