Where do jaguars live? Stories of the wild close to us

Abstract

One of the most common questions we hear when talking about jaguars is: where do they live? The answer is not as simple as it seems, especially in areas where the landscape is filled with crops, farms, and houses. Although we often imagine these big cats hidden deep in the jungle, today they also walk dirt roads, cross yards, and lurk near fields. This text explores some of the ways humans, jaguars, and pumas share territory in Nayarit, a state where the boundary between wilderness and urban life is fading. With the help of testimonies, camera trap photographs, and maps, we examine what it means to live alongside felines that don’t just exist on TV or in old stories, but that remain alive, nearby, facing their own challenges. Far from romanticizing, this is a real story: of communities learning to coexist with these animals without fear, but also without ignoring the consequences. Because if jaguars still exist, it is also thanks to those who see them pass by.