The 'endangered' jaguars inhabiting Suriname in South America are being poached by criminal organizations and sold into the Chinese market.
On the 23rd (local time), the U.S. daily Washington Post (WP) reported that the environmental organization Earth League International (ELI) identified 1,945 cases of wildlife poaching and trafficking across 18 Latin American countries from 2017 to 2022, which included 188 endangered jaguars.
Jaguar trafficking is reportedly occurring significantly in Suriname, a South American country covered by 90% forest and known for its Amazon rainforest.
ELI noted that jaguar trafficking is carried out to use jaguar fangs and skins for ornaments and interior items or to promote and sell certain body parts as male potency enhancers.
Most jaguar demand comes from China. ELI tracked an 'undercover agent' from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) meeting a Chinese individual involved in a wildlife trafficking network at a restaurant in Suriname and stated through WSJ that "brokers are trading 'American tigers' using cash or cryptocurrency."
In China, jaguars are referred to as American tigers and are seen as a substitute for tigers.
These individuals are reportedly linked to groups that provide transportation means to illegal immigrants in the U.S. for money or are involved in drug trafficking, according to WSJ.
The jaguar is the largest feline species on the American continent. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is classified as 'near threatened.'