Jaguars vs. Fake News in the Social Media Jungle
TULUM, México – In the realm of social media, videos showcasing the appearance of jaguars in various constructions and areas in the southern region of the country have become increasingly popular. These videos serve either to test the impact on the feline’s habitat or to report attacks on the population. However, it has been found that the majority of these cases are based on misinformation.
Jaguars, a species on the brink of extinction in our country, are protected under NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, which enlists species requiring conservation measures.
One particular video featuring a jaguar strolling through a rural setting purportedly near the construction site of the Jaguar Park in Quintana Roo went viral. Even President Andrés Manuel López Obrador showcased the video during a morning conference. However, it has now been established that this information is false.
“On this video, we see Tulum, where we are creating the Jaguar Park. Take a look. This one appears to be a male, but you will see the female jaguar as well,” President López Obrador commented on July 13, 2023.
The video depicts a jaguar peacefully walking along an unpaved path, gradually approaching what seems to be a vehicle.
In reality, the material originates from a natural reserve in Brazil, not from San Juan Evangelista in Quintana Roo, as claimed by users on social media.
#Nacional | Con video de jaguar en Brasil, AMLO negó afectaciones de las obras del Tren Maya, a la fauna de Quintana Roo. ?? https://t.co/bybcPNw1hw pic.twitter.com/QdeiLJ3Bwk
— MegaNews (@MegaNews_MX) July 14, 2023
Numerous accounts have emerged surrounding the enigmatic jaguar sightings in the paradisiacal realm of Quintana Roo. Diverse narratives vie for dominance—while certain chronicles asseverate the feline’s appearances along the meandering trails of “Cuatro Caminos,” presidential asseverations staunchly adhere to the belief that these spectacles transpired within the enchanting bosom of Tulum, an idyllic municipality nestled in the bosom of Quintana Roo.
Harnessing the prowess of technology, a compelling reverse quest on InVid bestowed revelation upon the earliest footage: a tapestried chronicle unveiled by the Instagram handle, Oncafi, on January 30, 2023. The description therein unfurls an enticing narrative—the camera lens, a vassal to a seasoned guide in the scenic confines of Miranda, a verdant tapestry within the majestic embrace of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Alas, the elusive opus of this beguiling saga now lies ensconced in the realm of intangibility.
A tragic incident involving a jaguar unfolded on July 12
Amid the tapestry of marvels and mysteries, a disheartening episode unfurled on the balmy eve of July 12—an awe-inspiring jaguar, the quintessence of nature’s magnificence, met with a calamitous fate, colliding with an ineluctable vehicular entity on the federal thoroughfare betwixt Playa del Carmen and Tulum. As the lamentations of sorrow resonated, both local media and the exalted Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) tendered a somber confirmation—the feline’s triumphant trajectory eclipsed, its essence dissipated into oblivion.
PROFEPA’s official Twitter missive lent an authoritative stamp to the discovery—the majestic being found nestled in eternal repose upon the highway’s edge. In the ardor of justice, a fragment of the mechanical steed was garnered, morphing into the pièce de résistance of evidence—an exemplar for a forthcoming submission of redress to the exalted Federal Justice Department (FGR).
Young man attacked by a jaguar
Additionally, there have been circulating reports of a man allegedly attacked by one or more jaguars in Tulum, near the hotel zone. However, extensive fact-checking reveals this claim to be untrue. AFP Factual clarified that the images actually pertain to an incident involving a young man attacked by a jaguar during a confrontation in the municipality of Sifontes, located in the state of Bolívar, Venezuela, on July 3, 2023.
