This year, Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) and Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund are joining efforts to support biologist Luis Fonseca in saving endangered sea turtles in Santa Rosa National Park, located in the Northwest Pacific of Costa Rica. In addition to sea turtles, the national park is home to several other species of flora and fauna—including jaguars.

Jaguars are the largest of big cat species in the Americas. Their populations have been declining due to habitat loss, poaching, and the loss of wild prey. However, in places like  Santa Rosa National Park, researchers have shown a recovery in the population of these animals. Luis Fonseca and his team (Coastal Jaguar Conservation and Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund) have witnessed this recovery, as in recent years they have seen an increase in jaguars on the beaches.

To learn more about the interactions between the growing jaguar population and sea turtles, members of Turtle Island Restoration Network helped donate ten camera traps that have been placed around the beaches of Naranjo and Nancite, where these cats feed on sea turtles that come to the beaches to nest. This month the cameras captured footage of a jaguar eating a sea turtle carcass, as well as some stunning shots of jaguars interacting with the habitat! 

This month, the camera traps Turtle Island Restoration Network members help donate to the program captured footage of a jaguar eating a sea turtle carcass!
Jaguar populations have been declining due to habitat loss, poaching, and the loss of wild prey.
Luis Fonseca and his team (Coastal Jaguar Conservation and Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund) have seen an increase in jaguars on the beaches.

We are excited to gather more data on the relationship between sea turtles and jaguars, and are grateful to everyone who is collaborating on this initiative!

Donations to our Save the Leatherback program are tax-deductible and welcome here.