As we trek through Mexico's Calakmul Biosphere dense forest, Gerardo Ceballos, an ecologist, tells us that tracking Jaguars is all about detectivework. It is a protected natural reserve covering approximately 2,700 sq. miles at the Yucatn Peninsula. Biologist Heliot Zirza Villanueva is following us, a jaguar hunter who has become a conservationist. He is also known as Don Pancho. Susana Llescas Furter and Eliu Campos Hernandez are his bloodhound trainers. Monica is one of his trainees. Like me, the puppy is out for her first jaguar hunt.Monica suddenly stops. The forest hears a distant roar. Ceballos explains that it is a howler monkey and observes the reaction of the puppy. It's a good sign. Her instinct is sharp. Llescas Furter discovers tracks made by jabali, wild jaguar prey. Although we find a jaguar footprint, it doesn't appear to be fresh. The team measures the tracks and takes photos. A sudden cacophony is heard in the thick foliage. Campos Hernandez whispers, barely managing to contain his excitement. Jaguars are prey on stocky herbivores. The presence of tapirs at the waterhole could indicate that big cats might be nearby.Based on its large size, proportionately large pad, and fanned feet, this paw print is likely to belong to a large female jaguar. These features distinguish it from puma tracks and ocelot tracks. Emiliano Ruprah, Atlas ObscuraDon Pancho discovers a hairball the size of a mouse. Ceballos examines the hairball and smells it. Jabali, he replies. Jaguars mark their territory by leaving scratch marks on nearby trees. These are just a few of the many good signs. Ceballos says that Jaguars don't have the luxury of skinning their prey so they end up producing hairballs after consuming them. This hairball is still damp and the scratch marks are recent evidence that a jaguar has killed a jabali in this area. This suggests that he or she is stalking their prey.Ceballos and his colleagues want to locate the mysterious cats and learn more about their habits and distribution. Ceballos and his colleagues have been working in Calakmul for many years on the jaguar program. Because of the increasing challenges facing this remote reserve, this work is even more crucial. Climate change and illegal logging have been threats to the reserve's flora, fauna, and habitats for many years. But there is a greater danger in the near future: A new railway that aims to boost tourism and trade will soon be built. It will cut through the Calakmul Biosphere. Ceballos is hopeful that the team's work will help to protect as much of this reserve as possible. Documenting the jaguar is a top priority.Gerardo Ceballos, Heliot Zarza Villenueva examine a map of Calakmul Biosphere. Emiliano Ruprah, Atlas ObscuraCampos Hernandez declares that it is the true king in the forest. We return to camp to get ready for the predawn hunt the next day. Campos Hernandez says that the big cats, which can exceed 200 pounds, are endangered and elusive. They are also perfect killing machines, Campos Hernandez states.Llescas Furter said that the brief encounter with the wild jaguar they had captured and calmed in the past was similar to being in the presence a mythical creature. When the team manages to capture one of these big cats, they attach a tracking collar to it. The collar will eventually release and can be retrieved by team members, providing valuable information about their territory.Zarza Villanueva adjusts the tracking collar in anticipation for a jaguar capture. Emiliano Ruprah, Atlas ObscuraScientists say jaguars are the region's apex predator and help to maintain balance in the ecosystem. Zarza Villaneuva says that if an apex predator is removed from an ecosystem, it can cause an explosion in the number of other species which could lead to habitat collapse.Ceballos says that by tracking jaguars we can show that they require a lot of space to survive. He believes that protecting the jaguars will also help to protect other animals in the food chain. This argument using charismatic species is necessary to convince the government that the reserve should be expanded. He says that this is our last chance at saving what amounts to an inestimable reservoir of Mexican history as well as our biological heritage. The Calakmul Biosphere is home to approximately 500 jaguars, along with nearly 70,000 other species.Spider monkeys are endemic to Calakmul Biosphere. They spend their time in dense canopy foraging for fruits in small groups. Emiliano Ruprah, Atlas ObscuraThe Tren Maya (or Maya Train) that will be running through the reserve could disrupt much of this rich flora. The huge infrastructure project, which is expected to be completed by 2023, will link Mexico's southernmost and poorest state, Chiapas, with wealthy tourist destinations like Cancn. The work began in 2018, and has been growing rapidly and dividing people. While some say it will provide much-needed opportunities for remote villages and towns, others fear it could be an ecological disaster. Zarza Villanueva claims that it will bring much-needed opportunity to remote villages and towns, while others warn it is an ecological disaster in the making. However, it is not clear how long this pause will last.Campos Hernandez pours me one shot of tequila back at camp, as the night falls and the mosquitoes are thickening the air. He says it's for the bites and itching. He and Ceballos swig another glass of water when I mention the train. For a long time, we sit silently and let the nocturnal insect choir fill the space between us.Ceballos is leading an effort to protect and study the Calakmul Biospheres' apex predator, The Jaguar. This will help preserve the entire reserve ecosystem. Emiliano Ruprah, Atlas ObscuraCeballos finally speaks. Ceballos finally speaks. Campos Hernandez points out that the Maya Train project will cause less forest destruction than illegal loggers each year. Ceballos and Campos Hernandez are optimistic that the project will actually promote environmentally sustainable development. Ceballos says that having the military and government on our side allows us to protect the biosphere and expand the reserve. Ceballos also believes that it could offer locals an alternative option to illegal logging or hunting. After finishing his tequila, he talks about the Maya Train. He says, "I highly recommend everyone gets some sleep. We have a four-a.m. wake up call."A few hours later, I wake up to the sound of howling hounds and an alarm. The caravan, consisting of two cars and a pickup with four jaguar-tracking dogs, speeds through the forest. The pile of fresh meat that we left behind the previous day is still there. However, we find no jaguars. Don Pancho, who is leading the search for tracks in the area, tells me to smell it. It has a barnyard, musky scent. He says Jabali. They passed us but there was no jaguar.The search for jaguars at Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Mexico's southern state Campeche was complicated by rainy days. Emiliano Ruprah, Atlas ObscuraWe will continue this four-day race, which is adrenaline-fueled and followed by disappointment, for the next four days. Each member of the team has a different theory about why the jaguars have evaded us. Campos Hernandez believes that there wasn't enough meat. Don Pancho claims that too much rain has scattered prey. Ceballos jokes that my presence is bad luck. Ceballos decides to give up the search and come back in August.The Maya Train will be completed four months before he attempts to capture and collar another Calakmul jaguar. Its construction is already closer to the realms of these mysterious forest kings.
