Xamã is gearing up to be the first male jaguar to return to the Amazon

Thanks to your support, Xamã, a jaguar cub, who was rescued in August 2022 after the devastating Brazil fires, has made it to his new home and is getting ready to make Brazillian history.

Watch the amazing moment Xamã was released into the massive Amazon rehabilitation facility here:

Xamã was around two months old when he was found alone near an area greatly affected by the fires – frightened dehydrated and malnourished. It is assumed that he was separated from his mother as he tried to escape.

The authorities were informed and were swift to rescue Xamã on the very same day, taking him to the Wildlife Care Sector of the Veterinary Hospital (Hovet) of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT).

After a five-month recovery, Xamã was finally transferred to the rehabilitation facility in the state of Pará where he is enjoying 15,000 m2 of the dense and rich Amazonian rainforest for up to two years.

From hunting to defence, he will receive all the support he needs from a team of expert biologists to learn the basic behaviours of a jaguar which he unfortunately could not receive from his mother. His contact with humans will be minimal and his moves will be monitored by cameras.

When Xamã reaches maturity and is deemed fit to be reintroduced to the wild, he will be released into a suitable and safe area along with a radio collar that will allow remote monitoring for at least one year. This will make Xamã the first male jaguar to have been successfully rescued and reintroduced to the Amazon.

David Maziteli, Wildlife Campaign Manager, World Animal Protection (Brazil) said:

“To make every possible effort to treat, restore and return Xamã to his wild life, where he can fully perform his natural behaviours, is both a matter of collective responsibility and an act of resistance against the unsustainable food system which threatens the existence of wild animals and humans alike.”

From rescue to reintroduction, the entire project has been undertaken by the following:

• The process of rescuing, treating, and housing Xamã so far has been the responsibility of the Hovet/Wild Animals Care Sector/UFMT team, with help from the Secretary of State for the Environment of Mato Grosso (Sema-MT).
• The Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources (Ibama) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), through the National Center for Research and Conservation of Carnivorous Mammals (Cenap), provided technical supervision and administrative management as public authorities.
• Onçafari, an entity specializing in the reintroduction of felines in Brazil, was involved to make the reintroduction possible and takes over from now on, also contributing resources, as a partner in the management of Xamã until his release and subsequent remote monitoring in nature.
• World Animal Protection, having accompanied the cub's recovery phase locally in Sinop in collaboration with Ecotono Institute (IEco), acted as sponsors and consultants for the project.

Thank you for giving Xamã the opportunity to be the first male jaguar to return to the lush Amazon biome.

An act of resistance against the unsustainable food system which threatens the existence of wild animals and humans alike.