The reintroduction of jaguars to Iberá is one of the most significant conservation achievements in South American wildlife management in recent decades. The programme, run by Fundación Rewilding Argentina, began with the establishment of a breeding centre in 2015, where rescued or donated jaguars from Brazil were kept in large enclosed areas to acclimatise to the habitat. In 2021, the first animals were fully released into the open park.
Jaguar tracking in Iberá is done in specialised 4x4 vehicles with guides who monitor animal movements through camera traps and footprints. The animals' territories cover large areas of the park, and while rangers know approximate locations, encounters involve genuinely following signs rather than visiting a reliable spot. For many visitors, the experience of tracking even without a sighting — reading prints in mud, seeing a scrape mark on a tree, hearing from a guide where an animal crossed two nights before — is itself memorable. When a sighting does happen, it tends to be brief and unforgettable.