The Colombia Pavilion kicked off its three-day celebration of International Jaguar Day at the site of Expo 2020 Dubai. Running until November 30, 2021, the commemoration features a range of activities and events to promote jaguar conservation and biodiversity protection.

Multi-Latin business group ISA spearheads the pavilion’s observance of the event. On November 29, the date declared by the United Nations Development Programme as International Jaguar Day, ISA brought to the fore the significance of jaguar protection in climate change mitigation and the preservation of ecosystems in the Americas.

One of the highlights of the pavilion’s celebration is a one-of-a-kind photo exhibition that features pictures of jaguars and other relevant initiatives. This interactive exhibition prompts people to move to see the images.

The fun begins at the entrance to the Colombia Pavilion, where people can take a picture with a digital retouching to turn half of their faces into a jaguar. Other attractions include murals and live art, which will emphasize the importance of jaguars in the ecosystems and tackle what could happen if they were to disappear.

Visitors will also be treated to works by renowned graphic artists who have been helping raise environmental protection awareness. They will have a chance as well to watch an artist painting a live piece on the jaguar.

Additionally, children will be able to paint a giant doodle on a jungle landscape while adults will be able to participate in a raffle to win two works of art featuring jaguars. Furthermore, they can listen to the sounds of the jaguar and the jungle on Spotify. Anyone can visit this Spotify playlist.

International Jaguar Day is observed annually to help protect the jaguar, America’s largest wild cat that serves as an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. As a result of habitat destruction and illegal hunting, jaguars are currently in ‘near threatened’ status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In the Amazon, it is estimated that there are 4,500 felines per 100 square kilometers in protected areas and 2,500 in unprotected areas. They are already extinct in Uruguay and El Salvador.

María Adelaida Correa, ISA’s Corporate Sustainability Director, said: “We want to make visible to the world the importance of protecting the jaguar, ratifying our commitment to leave a legacy of sustainable value for new generations. Currently, this commitment has materialized with the protection of nearly 800 hectares of forest and a potential reduction of 6 million tons of carbon dioxide among the seven conservation projects located in the jaguar corridor in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru.”

“Aligned with the purpose of mitigating climate change, ISA will offset the carbon footprint of the Colombia Pavilion during the three days of activities through the purchase of carbon credits from its Conexión Jaguar sustainability program,” Correa also revealed.

Carbon credits are defined as ‘measurable, verifiable emission reductions from certified climate action projects.’ ISA will use the carbon credits to further contribute to the rehabilitation of more than 2.2 hectares of land damaged by cattle ranching in the municipality of Cimitarra in Colombia’s Magdalena Medio region. The region is considered one of the most critical points to re-establish the connectivity of the jaguar corridor in Colombia.

Additionally, the resources will be used to support the continuous planting of endangered native trees such as the Abarco and protect the country’s five critically endangered species.  These five are Colombian, Blue-billed curassow, Magdalena brown spider monkey, white-tailed deer, cotton-top tamarin (Saguinusoedipus), and black-headed spider monkey.

More than 2,000 visitors a day are expected to take part in the Colombia Pavilion’s celebration at the Expo site. Across the world, simultaneous cultural and academic activities was held in Bogotá, Lima, Sao Paulo, New York, and Dubai- reflecting that the efforts to protect jaguars must go beyond the Americas.

In Bogotá, the emblematic Colpatria Tower as well as the replica of the Taj Mahal and the Maloka Cosmica in Jaime Duque Park was covered with jaguar textures and jungle designs through lighting and 3D Mapping created by prominent national artists. In New York and Sao Paulo, the Jaguar Parade was held to convene artists worldwide to raise funds and awareness of the urgent need to conserve jaguars and their habitats.

All global activities during the Month of the Jaguar this November are being staged in alliance with Parque Explora, Jaime Duque Park, Sonic Design, Jaguara, Herencia Ambiental, Jaguar Parade, ISA INTERCOLOMBIA, ISA TRANSELCA, ISA REP, ISA CTEEP, Expo Dubai, Panthera, and South Pole.