World · Latin America · 4 hrs ago
Pantanal jaguar Ibaca dies after being found severely weakened
Ibaca, a well-known jaguar in Brazil’s Pantanal, died on Saturday after being found severely weakened.
People who had followed her said she had lost weight rapidly, and a rescue team could not save her.
A post-mortem examination is expected to investigate her death, whose cause remains unknown.
Ibaca had been observed by researchers and wildlife watchers for ten consecutive seasons, from 2016 to 2025.
Photographers and guides remembered years of watching her and her cub Jasý grow in the wild.
A photographer who met them in 2025 named the cub Jasý, meaning “moon” in Tupi, while Ibaca’s name is associated with a star-filled sky.
Jasý now represents the continuation of Ibaca’s story, and observers hope she can live on her own in the territory.
The jaguar Ibaca died on Saturday after being found severely weakened in Brazil’s Pantanal.
She was rescued on Friday night near Porto Jofre, weighing just over 30 kilograms, according to a local biologist and guide.
The cause of death has not been established, and a post-mortem examination was being conducted.
Ibaca had been observed in the Pantanal since 2016 and recorded across ten consecutive seasons.
Her cub Jasý was described as part of the legacy she leaves behind.
- Who
- Ibaca, a female jaguar from the Pantanal, died.
- What
- She died after being found severely weakened and rescued. The cause of death is under investigation.
- When
- She was rescued on Friday, October 30, and her death was confirmed on Saturday, October 31.
- Where
- Near Porto Jofre, in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
- Why
- Not stated. A post-mortem examination was being conducted to investigate the cause.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Photographer Owen encountered Ibaca and her cub Jasý during an expedition and chose the cub’s name.
Owen said he received word that Fernando had seen Jasý again for the first time since July 2025.
Ibaca was rescued near Porto Jofre in a severely weakened condition.
Ibaca died, and her death was confirmed.
Photographer Fábio Paschoal posted a video mourning Ibaca.
- Name
- Ibaca
- Location
- Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Rescue
- Friday night, October 30
- Weight at rescue
- Just over 30 kg
- Wildlife records
- Ten consecutive seasons, from 2016 to 2025
- Cub
- Jasý
3 sources
Onça-pintada Ibaca morre após ser resgatada debilitada no Pantanal de MT e deixa filhote
Fotógrafo dos EUA se despede de onça Ibaca, encontrada debilitada no Pantanal de MT, e relembra privilégio de batizar filhote
'Impossível não se apegar': fotógrafo se despede de onça que morreu após resgate e deixou legado no Pantanal
What people are saying
She was very weak, weighing 30-something kilos. They are doing a post-mortem to find out the cause of death.
How could we not get attached? We know these animals, see them growing up, know their favorite places and what they like to do.
It seems mystical, magical, like a fairy tale. But it was real.
She did not even know I existed, but she gave me one of the purest and most meaningful experiences of my life.