A Wild Love: Following Jaguar Footprints in Darién, Panama
Sabrina Simon, PhD, Health In Harmony’s Research & Evaluation Associate, tells us a story of love and planetary health during a visit to the Darién rainforest, Panama, during Dr. Simon’s field work with HIH.
It was the rainy season in Panama, and it had rained heavily the day before our first entry into the Indigenous territories of the Darién Region. The soil was moist and extremely difficult to walk on. Within minutes, we reached the first trail that crossed the forest, completely shaded by trees. One of the young Indigenous experts, Franklin, was leading our group. He suddenly stopped and stared at the ground. When I got closer, he said, “These are jaguar footprints. They're very fresh. It seems she just passed through here a minute ago.”
“She?” I asked. “How can you tell it’s a female?” He explained that the depth of the footprints gave an idea of their size. He said, “By the size and weight, it’s either a female or a young male.” The footprints were headed the same way we were. We were following a jaguar, only a few minutes behind. I had never been so close to a free jaguar in my life (that I’m aware of), and the thought both scared and excited me.
We walked for about an hour when Williberto, another Indigenous guide, pointed to my feet and said, “Look at the soil.” Looking down, I realized I was still stepping on jaguar footprints. But there was another set, larger and deeper. The female had been heading deep into the forest. At some point, a male spotted her and emerged from the vegetation onto the trail.
They observed each other, and together they continued into the heart of the forest. It was mating season. We followed the two sets of footprints for about half an hour, then the couple’s tracks left the trail, disappearing into the vegetation.
At the end of the day, we returned along the same trail. Thankfully, it hadn’t rained during the day. I had completely forgotten about the footprints until someone spotted them again, going in the opposite direction! The female was returning to her territory after a day-date, and once again, we got to follow her steps. Two things blew my mind that day: first, being so close to two wild, free animals, so safe in their territory that they could mate; and second, being with people so deeply connected to the land that they could read the signs of life and gather stories and knowledge from them. They are the true guardians of the forest.