Four Jaguars and a Puma Meet Fatal End on Cancun to Tulum Roadway

Five felines, including four jaguars and one puma, have been tragically hit by vehicles on the federal highway 307 between Cancun and Tulum this year. This alarming situation highlights the crucial need for wildlife crossings.

Mario Buil, the president of the Jaguar Surveillance, Protection, and Conservation Committee in the Solidaridad municipality, shared this information and raised awareness about the severity of the issue.

“This is a recurring problem because there are no wildlife crossings. As hotels and residential areas have been constructed, animals have started to roam, including jaguars in pursuit of their prey. The highest number of accidents occurs between Cancun and Tulum. This year has been particularly grave, with four jaguars and one puma being hit,” expressed the environmentalist during an interview.

He recalled the most widely publicized incident involving a pregnant jaguar near the Nickelodeon Hotel. The jaguar attempted to cross the road to reach her cub on the other side but tragically got run over.

The environmentalist explained that he is part of a group that addresses and resolves conflicts between jaguars and humans.

“We work as a team, and it’s not just me. We have a technical group of specialists. Within this group, I coordinate conflict resolution because we face various types of conflicts involving jaguars, such as human-jaguar conflicts, which include road accidents, conflicts with livestock, conflicts with pets when jaguars prey on residential pets, conflicts with residential developments, and conflicts with hotels when jaguars occasionally enter the premises. We address all these conflicts collectively,” he emphasized.

Numerous conflicts between jaguars and humans, totaling 28, have been documented so far in 2023.

Regarding the fate of these jaguars, Mario Buil clarified that not all of them perish. They undertake mitigation efforts and strive to educate people that jaguars do not attack humans under any circumstances.

“Jaguars fear us and flee unless we attempt to harm them or pose a threat,” he explained.

Finally, concerning the jaguar population throughout Mexico, the specialist highlighted an increase from 4,000 to 4,800 individuals, representing a 20% growth.

He reiterated the urgent need for wildlife crossings, raising awareness among drivers to exercise caution and installing clear signage indicating speed limits and the presence of displaced wildlife.