Now they're mainly confined to the rainforests of the Amazon basin, and in the nearby Pantanal wetlands – less than half of their historic range. Jaguars often live near lakes, rivers and wetlands, and prefer to avoid open forests and grasslands.

Where are jaguars mostly found?

The jaguars' stronghold is in Brazil – it may hold around half of the estimated 170,000 wild jaguars. Most of these big cats are found in the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland.

Where do jaguars live in the US?

In North America, the jaguar currently ranges from the southern part of the United States in the north, to the southern part of Central America in the south. As recently as 2016, jaguars of Mexican origin have been spotted in Arizona.