Jaguars across their Latin American range face persecution from cattle ranchers who view them as threats to livestock, creating welfare and conservation crises.
Jaguars killed in livestock retaliation are shot, trapped, or poisoned, each method involving suffering of varying duration. Injured jaguars that escape die slowly from wounds. Prey availability reduction from cattle exclusion forces jaguars to range further in depleted areas. The chronic stress of persecution in landscapes with hostility toward jaguars affects behavior and reproductive success. Compensation programs and livestock improvement work reduces predation and therefore retaliatory killing, directly improving jaguar welfare.