Rainforest Trust Announces Initiative to Save One Million Acres of Critical Jaguar Habitat

WARRENTON, Va., Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rainforest Trust, a nonprofit conservation organization focused on saving threatened lands and endangered species, has announced a year-long initiative to save one million acres of rainforest that is home to the imperiled jaguars, the largest wild cats in the Western Hemisphere.

Over the next year, Rainforest Trust's Million Acre Jaguar Initiative will raise funds to create reserves throughout Latin America, beginning with Brazil, Peru and Colombia.  Rainforest Trust will work closely with in-country conservation partners to protect these vulnerable areas through direct land purchase as well as government designation of protected areas.

Once inhabiting an enormous territory stretching from the United States to Argentina, jaguars face an increasingly uncertain future. Massive habitat destruction, widespread hunting, and loss of prey have led to significant population declines throughout Latin America, leaving these magnificent animals in urgent need of assistance.

Those interested in donating to the Initiative will have the option of giving to an individual jaguar reserve or having their donation distributed evenly among the three initial projects.

Donations will support the creation of the Sierra del Divisor Reserve in Peru, a reserve in Brazil's Pantanal, and the El Jaguar Reserve in Colombia. To kick off the Initiative, Ann Kruglak of Mystic Dreamer Art has pledged to make a matching donation of $10,000 for the Sierra del Divisor Reserve.

These projects fit within a broader conservation framework that addresses the ubiquitous challenges confronting the jaguar species. The Million Acre Jaguar Initiative seeks to provide sanctuaries for isolated jaguar groups to help stop local extinctions; create wildlife corridors between established reserves to connect fragmented populations; and halt the deterioration of core habitat areas by expanding protection in those regions.

"The preservation of the jaguar is critical to the continued health of many ecosystems," said Dr. Paul Salaman, CEO of Rainforest Trust. "Jaguars once roamed throughout Central and South America. But having lost over half their range, they're close to becoming an endangered species.   The Million Acre Jaguar Initiative will help ensure a future for these extraordinary creatures."

As a means of spreading awareness and promoting the initiative, Rainforest Trust will also be hosting a month-long series of contests and sweepstakes at social.rainforesttrust.org, beginning today.

To donate or learn more about this project visit http://www.rainforesttrust.org/project/urgent-appeals/jaguar

Rainforest Trust is a nonprofit conservation organization focused on saving rainforest and endangered species in partnership with local conservation leaders and indigenous communities. Since its founding in 1988, Rainforest Trust has saved nearly 8 million acres of rainforest and other tropical habitats and has 85 projects across 22 countries.

Media contacts:
Joe Lowe, Rainforest Trust
[email protected]    
202-361-0113 

Megan McMonagle
[email protected]  
212-994-7612

SOURCE Rainforest Trust