First verified high-elevation record of the jaguar (Panthera onca) on the eastern slope of the Western Andes, Colombia

This work documents the first verifiable record of a jaguar (Panthera onca) on the eastern slope of the Western Andes in Colombia, in Parque Nacional Natural Farallones de Cali at 2,500 m a.s.l. The record was obtained in October 2024 during a camera-trap monitoring program. To contextualize this observation, we compiled recent high-elevation records of jaguars in Colombia and developed an ecological niche model using the Maxent algorithm and bioclimatic predictors. The best-performing model showed high predictive performance (AUC = 0.924; CBI = 0.891) and identified precipitation- and temperature-related variables as the main drivers of habitat suitability, indicating that both thermal and precipitation patterns may constrain jaguar distribution at elevational limits in Colombia. This observation constitutes the first confirmed record of the species on the eastern slopes of the Western Andes in Colombia in more than six decades. Although the presence of jaguars in high-montane environments is likely transient, this finding highlights the potential role of Andean landscapes in facilitating dispersal and connectivity among remnant populations.