TEGUCIGALPA   –  Camera traps have photographed a jaguar high up in the Honduran Sierra del Merendón mountain range, the first time the big cat has been detected there in a decade. In images shared exclusively with CNN, the lone male, known as a “cloud jaguar,” was spotted on February 6, about 2,200 meters up in high-altitude forest, a positive signal for the Central American nation attempting an environmental turnaround. Jaguars have lost 49% of their historic range in the Americas, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The largest population lives in Amazonia, but all other populations are classified as endangered or critically endangered. In Honduras jaguars are protected, though they face challenges. “Deforestation and poaching are the biggest threats, and we have been working to tackle both,” said Franklin Castañeda, Honduras country director at wild cat conservation organization Panthera, which captured the images of the jaguar.

Between 2001 and 2024, the Central American nation lost 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) of tree cover, 19% of its total, according to Global Forest Watch. Permanent agriculture like plantations and grazing land was the overwhelming reason. The government has committed to curbing deforestation by the end of the decade , as well as restoring 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of forest. Its Zero Deforestation Plan 2029 declared a state of environmental emergency to protect forests and wildlife, utilizing a military patrol force comprising 8,000 troops to deter and prevent illegal agricultural and logging activity. Meanwhile, poaching of jaguar prey species, such as the brocket deer, peccary and iguana, is thought to impact the big cat’s food supply. But in the Merendón range, there are signs of environmental success.