The protected species had almost disappeared by the end of the 19th century
A jaguar has been1 spotted in Rio de Janeiro for the first time in five decades. The animal was recorded in Serra da Concórdia State Park, in Valença, a city about 220 km from the state capital.
According to the state environmental agency, jaguars hadn’t been seen in the region since the 1970s. Researchers attribute their disappearance to urban expansion into forested areas.
Fifty years later, the jaguar spotted is an adult male. The state government credits the sighting to the increased native vegetation cover in the Atlantic Forest.
