Understanding Emerging Threats to Felid Populations in Suriname

Suriname is a northern South American Republic, a former Dutch colony and one of the most forested countries on earth, with 93% of the land enveloped by vegetation (FAO, 2015). These forests are also home to six species of felid: jaguar (Panthera onca), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), margay (Leopardus wiedii), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), puma (Puma concolor) and oncilla/ northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus; Husson, 1978).

Felids are culturally significant to indigenous people in the Guyana Shield, revered as both noble and fearsome (Marchini et al., 2022). They have additional monetary importance in attracting international tourists to Suriname and act as pivotal proxies for the functionality of understudied natural environments (Ouboter et al., 2021; Lacher Jr et al., 2021).

Despite the acknowledged threats to Surinamese felids, including habitat destruction, the illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict, academic literature on changing population dynamics and the impact of human-mediated threats remains limited (Jedrzejewski, et al., 2018).

Furthermore, there is little peer-reviewed literature on tribal and indigenous experiences with felids and their trade, alongside how communities have responded to campaigns to reduce felid trafficking. This project aims to bridge knowledge gaps in the socio-ecology and conservation of Surinamese felids, with a crucial objective of mitigating threats to these species.

By doing so, it seeks to provide valuable insights for shaping conservation policies, particularly in the context of Suriname's imminent revision of its National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan.