Rewilding Earth Podcast, Episode 157:

Jaguar Rivers Project – South America’s First Continental Wildway with Sebastian Di Martino

Date: October 17, 2025

Host: Jack Humphrey

Guest: Sebastian Di Martino, Conservation Director, Rewilding Argentina

Episode Overview

This episode features conservation biologist Sebastian Di Martino, head of Rewilding Argentina, discussing the groundbreaking Jaguar Rivers Project—a visionary plan to connect and restore jaguar populations and whole ecosystems across nearly one million square miles of South America, spanning Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil. The conversation dives deep into the nuts and bolts of reintroducing jaguars, what it takes to dream and act at a continental scale, and the huge ecological and social implications of this work. Di Martino offers hope, practical insights, and a refreshing reminder that even the wildest ambitions can become reality.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Jaguar’s Plight and the Need for Connectivity

• Historical Range Loss:
  Jaguars once ranged from Argentina to the northern reaches of the Grand Canyon. Today, they exist in highly fragmented “islands” across their former territory.

  • Quote: “The jaguars...are mostly in the Amazon and in the Pantanal...But in most other places, jaguars are completely gone or remain in isolated populations, like islands of jaguars.”
    (Sebastian Di Martino, 00:03)

• Fragmentation Threatens Survival:
  Without reconnecting and augmenting these remnants, remaining jaguars face extinction through genetic bottlenecks and isolation.

2. Success in Ibera and the Strategy Behind Reintroduction

• Ibera Project – From Zero to Thriving:
  Rewilding Argentina’s early success in establishing a brand-new population in the Ibera wetlands—now the world’s southernmost jaguar population—has been nothing short of transformative.

  • Quote: “We started from zero...now we have a population of at least 40 wild jaguars that are breeding very well. The population is growing fast.”
    (Di Martino, 03:18)

• El Impenetrable – Supplementation Model:
  A parallel effort in El Impenetrable focuses on supplementing solitary male jaguars with females from Ibera, resulting in the first wild jaguar birth in almost 40 years in the region.

  • Notable moment: “Two days ago we released the fifth female...and on July this year, we recorded the birth of the first cub...in almost 40 years.”
    (Di Martino, 07:42)

• From Captive Breeding to Wild-to-Wild Translocations:
  The work is evolving from labor-intensive captive breeding toward faster, more cost-effective translocations of wild jaguars to restore populations and strengthen genetics.

3. Genetic Diversity and Technical Challenges

• Managing Genetic Variability:
  Despite small founder populations, the project is maintaining robust genetic diversity via careful monitoring and incorporating individuals from other regions, adapting as data emerges.

  • Quote: “Really we have a high degree of genetic variability here...but we need to keep monitoring...most of the technical issues can be solved. The most difficult issue...is how to build social and political support.”
    (Di Martino, 13:32)

• Lessons for U.S. Reintroduction:
  Di Martino underscores that the U.S faces similar technical questions, but the real challenge lies in the political landscape and building social support.

4. Political and Social Pillars of Rewilding

• NGO-Led Model vs. Government-Led Model:
  In Argentina, weak governmental capacity allows NGOs to take the lead, which can make projects more nimble than in the U.S., where government must often drive the process.

  • Quote: “For me, it's much easier to run a reintroduction project inside an NGO than to do it...by the government.”
    (Di Martino, 18:47)

• Building Local Support through an Eco-Economy:
  Transitioning regions from cattle ranching to ecotourism is critical. By making the jaguar an economic opportunity through nature tourism, the local community’s perception shifts profoundly.

  • Quote: “We create a new economy...so the jaguar, the park, and all the wildlife...is seen as an opportunity for job creation...not a problem anymore.”
    (Di Martino, 19:48 – 22:30)

5. The Jaguar Rivers Initiative: Big, Bold, Connected

• A Continental-Scale Vision:
  The Jaguar Rivers Project aims to connect fragmented jaguar (and other wildlife) populations with natural corridors along South America's river systems, forming stepping stones and restoring ecosystem connectivity across political borders.

  • Quote: “We're building this new population...but they're isolated...and all these four populations, they're connected through rivers that jaguars use as corridors...But the problem is that...there are many threats in the middle.”
    (Di Martino, 23:44)

• Working Across Borders and with Coexistence:
  The project spans four countries and must also address coexistence with cattle ranchers outside tourism areas, drawing on examples from the Pantanal and beyond.

6. Why Focus on Big Predators? Ecosystem Impact

• Jaguar as Keystones and Symbols:
  While jaguars are charismatic umbrella species, restoration work includes at least 10 extirpated species—ocelots, giant river otters, birds, and herbivores. Each species’ return brings cascading ecological benefits.

  • Quote: “It's not only about recovering the jaguar, it's recovering other species...recovering the ecosystem as a whole. Yeah, ecosystem that was degraded but now is kind of healthy again.”
    (Di Martino, 27:46 – 30:22)

• Trophic Cascades in Action:
  Jaguars reshape prey populations, change vegetation, boost grassland bird survival, and improve carbon sequestration.

7. Giant River Otter Reintroduction

• Latest Milestone:
  The first family group of giant river otters, sourced from European zoos, is adapting well in Ibera—with a “soft release” approach.
  • Quote: “It’s spectacular...the guys are still there monitoring them...They interact with other animals, they explore more...they are also building dens outside the pen.”
    (Di Martino, 32:22)

8. Looking Forward: Scaling Up

• Replicating Success, Updating Regulations:
  Taking the "Ibera Model" national and continental, with a focus on efficiency, regulatory reform (enabling conservation translocations), and public agency readiness.

• Dreaming Boldly, Acting Locally:
  Di Martino emphasizes that what once seemed impossible is now real, and the next impossible-seeming challenge—continental connectivity—will also be won by steady, coordinated action.

  • Quote: “Even if it seems impossible, it's like a long-term objective and you start walking towards that. And that’s how we started...bringing back the jaguar was like going to the moon...but now it's a reality.”
    (Di Martino, 37:50)

9. Connectivity Beyond Borders: Lessons for North America

• Faith in Restoring Continental Jaguar Ranges:
  Di Martino is hopeful that the same strategies can ultimately reconnect populations from the U.S. Southwest through Latin America—a dream that’s “completely possible” with long-term vision and cooperation.
  • Quote: “Jaguars...have the potential possibility to connect from the US to Argentina...all this isolation was created by us and we should solve that...I think it's completely possible.”
    (Di Martino, 39:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the core challenge:
  “Most of the technical issues can be solved. ...The most difficult issue...is how to build social and political support.”
  (DiMartino, 13:32)

• On social acceptance:
  “The jaguar is now an opportunity here. It's not a problem anymore.”
  (DiMartino, 22:30)

• On the vision for the future:
  “If not, we are creating very nice examples...but still it's an isolated population...that's the main challenge for the future.”
  (DiMartino, 34:38)

• On the psychology of conservation barriers:
  “The complexity is mostly in our brains, not in reality. ...Bringing jaguars is not easy, but it's not so complex.”
  (DiMartino, 42:35)

• On big thinking in conservation:
  “Even if it seems impossible, it’s like a long-term objective and you start walking towards that.”
  (DiMartino, 37:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:03 | Importance of jaguar connectivity and historic range | | 03:18 | Ibera project background and success (first wild population) | | 07:42 | Details of breeding programs and reintroduction methods | | 13:32 | Genetic diversity challenges and social vs. technical hurdles | | 18:47 | NGO-driven reintroduction model and political differences vs. U.S. approach | | 19:48 | Building local support by transforming regional economies | | 23:44 | The Jaguar Rivers Initiative announced: vision, strategy, and need for continental corridors| | 27:46 | The broader rewilding context: other species, food webs, and ecosystem restoration | | 32:22 | Update on giant river otter reintroduction and other species | | 34:38 | Scaling, replication, and regulatory reform for future conservation | | 37:50 | The power and necessity of “big, bold vision” in conservation | | 39:13 | The dream of jaguar connectivity from the U.S. to Argentina | | 42:35 | Psychological vs. real-world barriers in conservation work |

Resources & Further Information

• Maps and further resources are available at rewilding.org/pod under Episode 157.
• Learn more about Rewilding Argentina and the Jaguar Rivers Project by visiting their website.
• Listeners inspired to support, follow, or take part in rewilding efforts are encouraged to connect, donate, or get involved via rewilding.org.

Conclusion

Sebastian Di Martino’s appearance on the Rewilding Earth Podcast underscores how transformational, continental-scale conservation is not only possible but already unfolding—fueled by community engagement, innovative strategies, and unyielding ambition. From the rebounding jaguar populations in Ibera and El Impenetrable to the sprawling vision of the Jaguar Rivers Project, this episode presents both a model and a call to action for rewilding efforts worldwide—grounded in strategic pragmatism, local empowerment, and the courage to dream big.