Victor MontalvoVictor Montalvo

PhD Student, Environmental Conservation

Contact: , ,

Advisor: Todd Fuller

Conservation of jaguars and their prey in the dry forests of northwestern Costa Rica

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a critically endangered species (wildlife conservation law No. 7317) that occurs in low numbers in most tropical forests of Costa Rica. In the seasonally dry forest of Santa Rosa National Park (SRNP) in the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG) of northwestern Costa Rica, jaguars play an important role in maintaining the diversity and balance of the ecosystem. However, they are threatened at park boundaries by retaliation killing due to livestock predation, and affected by illegal hunting of their prey inside and outside of the park. My studies aim to understand jaguar movements, population ecology, and prey relationships in the park using camera traps, prey surveys, and GPS telemetry. I want my results to influence protection and management actions concerning jaguars throughout the ACG, as well as in the rest of Costa Rica and neighboring jaguar range.

Support

  • National University of Costa Rica (UNA)
  • Ministry of Science and Technology of Costa Rica (MICIT)

Publications

Esquivel-Cambronero. A, C. Sáenz-Bolaños, V. Montalvo, L.D. Alfaro-Alvarado & E. Carrillo J. 2017. First records of /Tayassu pecari/ (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) in the Barbilla National Park, Costa Rica. Suiform Soundings 15(2):28-30.

Montalvo, V.H., Alfaro, L., Saenz, C., Cruz, J., Fuller, T.K., & Carrillo, E. 2016. Factors affecting jaguar and puma predation on livestock in Costa Rica. Wildlife Biology in Practice 12(1):32-42.

Alfaro, L. D., Montalvo, V., Guimaraes, F., Saenz, C., Cruz, J., Morazan, F., & Carrillo, E. 2016. Characterization of attack events on sea turtles (Chelonia mydas and Lepidochelys olivacea) by jaguar (Panthera onca) in Naranjo Sector, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. International Journal of Conservation Science 7(1):101-108.

Sáenz-Bolaños, C., V. Montalvo, T.K. Fuller, & E. Carrillo. 2015. Records of black jaguars at Parque Nacional Barbilla. Cat News 62:38-39.

Montalvo, V., C. Sáenz Bolaños, S. Ramírez Carvajal, & E. Carrillo. 2015. Abundancia del jaguar (Panthera onca), otros felinos y sus presas potenciales en el Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. Cuadernos de Investigación UNED Vol. 7(2):305-311.

Montalvo, V., L. Alfaro, C. Saenz, & E. Carrillo. 2015. Jaguar as potential predator of K. scorpionides in Santa Rosa Nacional Park. Herpetozoa 27(3:4):205-208.

Alfaro, L.D., V. Montalvo, E. Carrillo, & C. Sáenz-Bolaños. 2013. Índice de riesgo de depredación de ganado por felinos en el paisaje rural: una herramienta para identificar el nivel de riesgo en fincas ganaderas y diseñar medidas de prevención y mitigación. In Áreas protegidas e inclusao social: Tendencias e perspectivas. 6(1):308-320.

Mazzolari, A., L. Pardo, O. Monge, V. Montalvo, D. Armero, J. Cruz, N. Orias, V. Rodríguez, M. Sarmento, A. Tovar, E. Vargas, & G. Wong. 2012. Percepción sobre la vida silvestre desde diversas visiones religiosas: Una herramienta para promover la educación ambiental en la Península de Osa. Cuadernos de investigación UNED 4(2):223-229.