In March, trail cameras, which are useful tools used to take note of wildlife populations, captured the rare jaguarundi in Honduras. These wild cats native to Central and South America are virtually unknown to scientists, given the species' discreet nature, making this camera capture immensely valuable.
"The footage shows two jaguarundis up close, walking and sitting in front of the camera," an article for Outdoors explained.
There are reportedly few jaguarundi cats, and they are seldom studied because their population is thought to be relatively stable, as they are not threatened by the illegal fur trade and are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Least Concern. However, the International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) recommended that their status should be reviewed regularly.
"There is an urgent need for further research on its ecology, demographics, and natural history to identify threats and their impacts, as well as to ensure that adequate conservation measures can be implemented," the Society explained.
As there are so few sightings of the animal, it's difficult to gauge the threats that they face. It's believed that some of these environmental threats are habitat loss, which leads to prey reduction, hunting for medicinal or ornamental purposes, and a general lack of information about the species.
The video is good news for scientists, as it means they can develop more knowledge about the wild cat, which can help them make better sense of the species' potential threats. Understanding more about this animal can help scientists learn how to support their population, their wider ecosystem, and, conversely, the human food supply.
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As the species is so elusive, scientists disagree about how much research needs to be done on the species.
"To be clear, you will never convince anyone to give you money to study the jaguarundi," Anthony Giordano, the director of a carnivore conservation nonprofit, told Mongabay.
However, with more captures, this could change. A recent IUCN assessment will release results soon. As Giordano explained to Mongabay, this may change the amount of research on them.
"One of the things that [we] saw [during the IUCN assessment] was this echo of, 'yes, jaguarundi are not well known, and they need more attention.'"
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