Throughout South and Central America, vast areas of wilderness are being cleared for agriculture and cattle ranching. Human encroachment permanently alters the ecosystem by cutting down forests and disrupting the normal hunting and traveling patterns that resident cats have established. As more areas open up for development, the jaguar continues in direct competition with humans for its food. Turtles, tortoises, monkeys, capybara and fish are captured and sold for their meat and caiman populations have been desimated to satisfy the skin trade. The competition for food and habitat looms as a larger threat to jaguars than the damand for their skins, and their numbers are diminishing.
Jaguars are formidable predators, taking animals up to the size peccaries and tapirs.
Jaguars have no established breeding season, with reproduction taking place any time during the year. After maiting, the pair separates, with the female providing all parenting for the resulting offspring. Litters average one to four cubs, born blind with each weighing two to two and one half pounds, after a gestation period of 95 to 105 days. The cubs generally remain in the den where they were born for up to six months. The coat of the jaguar cub is wooly with spots much like the adult pattern, although the background color on the adult is more subdued.