Saving Jaguars at the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracts over 90,000 visitors annually. Increasing tourism and infrastructure projects like the Mayan Train, Tulum Airport, and highways are putting pressure on local wildlife, with 13 jaguar deaths recorded between 2019 and 2024 along the Cancun-Tulum highway. The TUI Care Foundation, partnering with local organizations, is launching a two-year conservation project to restore habitats, monitor wildlife, and educate communities, including replanting 10,000 mangroves over 70 hectares. The region aims to balance tourism development with the protection of endangered species amid habitat fragmentation and illegal hunting.