PantheraID is a project focused on contributing to wildlife and environmental conservation through the use of technology and data science.
It was born as a Final Graduation Project, analyzing jaguar movement patterns in the southern region of Costa Rica, with the objective of generating useful information for conservation decision-making.
An individual jaguar identification model was also developed based on their unique rosette patterns. The system, based on neural networks, achieved an overall accuracy of 96.6% and was trained using real data from camera traps provided by an organization dedicated to large cat monitoring.
This project was awarded second place in the Master's in Data Science program at Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
How was it built?
Each jaguar has a unique coat pattern that functions much like a human fingerprint. Taking this differentiating characteristic into account, the challenge was to design a mathematical formula understandable to a computer, using computer vision to study each individual's pattern, assign a label, and distinguish it from others.
Rosettes: This set of rosettes can be seen on the side of Lupo, a jaguar living in the Osa Peninsula.
From videos, frames were extracted and processed for each jaguar, followed by their labeling and the construction of a structured dataset. Then, data analysis techniques were applied, and the information was split into training and testing sets. The model was trained using neural networks, optimizing the extraction of features from the coat pattern—known as rosettes—and iteratively adjusted until achieving an excellent overall accuracy.
2241
Processed images
8
Different jaguars
2
Different locations
96,6%
Overall Accuracy
What problem does it solve?
PantheraID significantly reduces the time spent organizing and classifying data—a task that currently falls to a limited number of experts and can easily overwhelm them when data volumes are high. By automating pre-identification, the system offers a scalable solution for large amounts of information, providing direct support to specialists without replacing their clinical or biological judgment, and improving efficiency in collaborative and citizen science projects.
Why is it revolutionary?
Automated solutions for individual jaguar identification remain limited globally, making PantheraID an innovative proposal with a high potential impact on conservation.
What's next?
- Connecting with other organizations.
- Feeding the model with more data from different regions and countrie
- Scaling the infrastructure.
- Developing a mobile app for field use
- Implementing pilots with partner organizations.
- ¿Cómo colaborar?
¿Cómo colaborar?
Field testing with experts.
Data: Sharing camera trap photos to train the model
Validation: Testing the system in the field with experts.
Diffusion: Helping to connect with other organizations.
How can you test it?
Key aspects of jaguars
01
Why protect the jaguar?
The jaguar is considered an umbrella species, as its protection also implies the conservation of many other species. For example, when an area is declared protected with the goal of preserving the jaguar, the ecosystems it inhabits are safeguarded simultaneously, and with them, all the species that form part of them.
02
What do jaguars represent?
Jaguars are apex predators, meaning they occupy the top of the food chain. Their presence indicates a healthy and balanced ecosystem, as they depend on well-preserved habitats and stable populations of other species.
03
Are black panthers jaguars?
Black panthers are not a separate species, but rather melanistic jaguars—a genetic mutation that produces an excess of melanin in their coat. This trait is uncommon, as it is determined by a recessive gene. PantheraID has also been trained with melanistic jaguars. Although they appear completely dark to the naked eye, nighttime camera traps reveal their rosettes, making individual identification possible.
04
How many jaguars have been detected?
Information on jaguar population density remains limited and is still uncertain across much of their habitat. This is due to a lack of systematic, up-to-date studies. In southern Costa Rica, for example, the latest available census dates back to 2018, and there is no official nationwide count. A recent Oxford study (2025) suggests that the population density in the Amazon is approximately 173,000 individuals.
05
What is its conservation status?
In Costa Rica, it is classified as endangered according to national and international authorities. Depending on the location, it may face greater danger in areas where its habitat is fragmented and isolated, such as the Osa Peninsula. Its protection is essential to prevent its disappearance.
06
What threatens them?
The main threats facing the jaguar in Costa Rica are habitat loss and fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict due to livestock predation (the leading cause of mortality), the hunting of its natural prey, and illegal poaching. It is estimated that between 50% and 70% of its original continental range has been lost. Declaring its habitat a protected wildlife area, reserve, or national park has helped save the lives of many of these felines.