Article Summary
- At least 50 jaguars now roam free in Argentina’s Iberá Wetlands — a species that had vanished entirely from Corrientes Province about seventy years ago.
- The comeback is the work of the provincial government, the National Parks Administration, Rewilding Argentina, and Tompkins Conservation, alongside reintroductions of the giant anteater, pampas deer, collared peccary, red-and-green macaw, and giant river otter.
- Gran Iberá Park’s 2 million protected acres now hold the highest jaguar population of any national park in Argentina.
- Wildlife-watching tourism draws more than 60,000 visitors a year, with new work — lodging, guiding, cooking, crafts, park rangers — reaching the 20 towns and roughly 200,000 residents surrounding Iberá.
- Rewilding Argentina is now scaling the model to the entire Paraná River Basin through the Jaguar Rivers Initiative, with partner foundations in Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
After the species was last seen seventy years ago, there are now at least 50 jaguars roaming free throughout the Iberá Wetlands in Argentina. Tourists have started spotting them throughout the 2 million protected acres of the Great Iberá Park, fulfilling a vision pursued for over twenty years, establishing the province of Corrientes as the Land of the Jaguars, making real the dream of many: seeing one of these magnificent cats in the wild.
The Big Cat That Disappeared
The jaguar, called “yaguareté” by the Guaraní, meaning “true beast,” once ranged from the southwestern United States to northern Argentine Patagonia. The species’ geographic range is diminished, losing over 90% of its territory in Argentina alone, and in some places, like Corrientes Province, it had disappeared altogether.
Twenty Years of Bringing Back Jaguars
Through a joint effort by the provincial government, the National Parks Administration, Rewilding Argentina, and Tompkins Conservation, in one of South America’s most ambitious rewilding projects, the jaguar has been brought back — along with the giant anteater, pampas deer, collared peccary, red-and-green macaw, and giant river otter.
What once seemed like a utopia, a dream—or even a delusion, depending on who you asked—is today a reality. But it hasn’t come back in the shadows: the jaguar has returned to Corrientes as the pride of the province, representing a model of best-practices conservation and a tourist attraction already generating hundreds of jobs.
Habitat, Prey, and Pride
The work required, among other things, creating the conditions for the species’ return and reducing the threats that caused its extinction in the first place. That meant establishing the national park and strengthening the existing provincial park to be free of hunting and with sufficient habitat — not just in acres, but also with thriving ecosystems. It meant restoring wildlife to guarantee natural prey, mainly capybaras and caimans. It meant building a tourism destination powered by a new economy based on nature observation, and turning local residents into guardians of conservation through new tourism-related jobs: lodging, services, guides, cooks, artisans, and park rangers.
At the same time, it meant reviving pride in local identity. The people of Corrientes, especially those of Iberá, showed they were eager to reclaim natural and cultural values that existed in the culture’s collective memory, waiting for the moment to resurface.
King of the Wetlands Once More
Today the jaguar is a symbol of recovery, courage, strength, and the determination of a society that knew how to turn history around — going from having no jaguars at all to hosting the highest jaguar population of any national park in Argentina. A society learning to live alongside wildlife and proudly showcasing it to the world. Today you can see huge murals on city streets, hand-carved wooden jaguar sculptures, and the animal’s presence in songs, poems, and books. The jaguar has reclaimed its undisputed place as king of the wetlands.
And the equation is simple: more jaguars and more wildlife mean more tourists visiting Gran Iberá Park, more local development, and higher indexes of wellbeing, creating a proud, rooted community. Some 200,000 residents across the 20 towns surrounding Iberá now find employment and personal growth opportunities in this new economy.
Iberá went from zero to 50 jaguars in just a few years, becoming a model of governance and sustained public policy, strengthening its legal framework in support of conservation, and building a wildlife-watching tourism destination that draws more than 60,000 visitors a year.
What Comes Next: The Jaguar Rivers Initiative
Inspired by the success of this new model that recovers ecosystems and creates a regenerative economy, Rewilding Argentina is working with greater ambition to restore an entire watershed: the Paraná River Basin. Nearly the size of two Alaskas, this biodiversity hotspot is shared by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
This is the Jaguar Rivers Initiative.
It unites fragmented landscapes by using rivers and riparian forests as natural corridors, dissolving borders and connecting territories and cultures. Built on the solid, on-the-ground experience of four regional foundations — Rewilding Argentina, Onçafari (Brazil), Nativa (Bolivia), and Fundación Moisés Bertoni (Paraguay) — the initiative unites them around a shared vision: in 20 years, a restored Paraná Basin featuring a network of connected, restored natural areas across all four countries, sustaining self-sufficient wildlife populations supported by the natural movement of species.
We believe that rivers are the lifeline of ecosystems, that once again must serve as corridors between natural areas, nourishing life through their waters, alongside well-preserved forests. Jaguar Rivers is just beginning the hard work that’s necessary to reduce threats, ensuring the coexistence of wildlife and local communities. Nature-based economies will bring wellbeing and pride to local communities, leading to the effective, permanent protection of nature.
Marisi López is the Argentina Coordinator for the Jaguar Rivers Initiative, serving as liaison to the participating governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. She joined Tompkins Conservation in 2005 to help create Iberá Park, working alongside Douglas Tompkins to establish the national park, open its tourist and public access portals, and build partnerships with local political leaders, experience she now applies across other provinces to develop nature-based economies. She holds a degree in Public Relations, with postgraduate work in Environmental Lawand Women in Conservation Leadership at Colorado State University.
Editor’s Note: This guest post was contributed by Rewilding Argentina, an Argentine foundation working to reverse species extinction and restore ecosystem function since 2010. Their Jaguar Rivers Initiative is reconnecting fragmented landscapes across the Paraná River Basin — shared by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay — using rivers and riparian forests as natural corridors so wildlife can move freely between protected areas, and building nature-based economies that benefit the communities living alongside them.
Have ideas for guest posts about rewilding projects worldwide? Contact us at hello@rewildology.com.
Related Topics: jaguar reintroduction, Iberá Wetlands, Argentina rewilding, Paraná River Basin, wildlife corridors, community-led conservation, nature-based tourism economies
Follow and Support Rewilding Argentina
The Iberá story works because the economy around the park works. The most direct way to support it is to go — book a stay at one of the park portals, hire a local guide, eat at a family-run comedor in Concepción del Yaguareté Corá or Colonia Carlos Pellegrini. That money lands in the towns that made the jaguar’s return possible.
If Argentina isn’t in your near future, here’s how to stay close to the work:
- Explore the Iberá Project: rewildingargentina.org/proyecto-ibera — trip planning, portal access, and project background. The site’s English version lives at rewildingargentina.org/eng.
- Donate: rewildingargentina.org/donaciones — funds land purchases, reintroductions, and the community programs that keep both viable.
- Get involved: rewildingargentina.org/separte — volunteer programs and other ways in.
- Newsletter: Sign up at the bottom of rewildingargentina.org.
- Follow along: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok · LinkedIn · X
