CLIMATE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Jaguarundi Reclassified as Near Threatened Amid Decline
WHY IT MATTERS
The reclassification signals a hidden decline in a widely seen species, prompting urgent conservation action to mitigate threats like road mortality and disease.
What happened
The IUCN has moved the jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) from least concern to near threatened, a shift that underscores a growing decline across its range from Mexico to southern Brazil and Argentina. Researchers cite human‑wildlife conflict, dangerous roadways, attacks by dogs and infectious disease as key threats.
The species is one of the most frequently seen small cats in the Americas, yet data show it is in trouble, according to Tadeu de Oliveira, co‑chair of the Cat Specialist Group.
The new status is hoped to focus conservation attention on the otter‑like, vocalized cat that is charismatic across its wide range.
PRIMARY SOURCES
The jaguarundi is relatively easy to see. That may have hidden its decline
Mongabay · Shreya Dasgupta · Discovery and factual synthesis only; publisher copyright terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 14, 2026, 2:45 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 14, 2026, 2:45 PM