The Feline Project was set up at Vale Nature Reserve in Espírito Santo, Brazil, in June 2005. The research project involves monitoring feline species that live in the Reserve, particularly the jaguar.
Using photographic “traps” – cameras activated by animal movements – the project team has so far recorded the existence of nine jaguars in the Reserve, as well as other felines and many other kinds of endangered animals that live in the area.
In 2006, a study began to examine the diet and genetic health of the reserve’s jaguars, as well as the existence of parasites among them. This study is taking place in partnership with prestigious Brazilian universities such as PUC-RS, PUC-Minas and UFMG.