Where to See Cats of the Americas: 5 Parks Ranked by Real Odds

Q: Where is the best place to see Cats of the Americas?

Tambopata National Reserve. In Tambopata National Reserve, Peru, the chance of seeing all 3 (jaguar, puma and ocelot) on the same day is under 5%, the highest of the 5 parks where all of them live, and over a three-day visit it rises to under 5%. Next come Yasuní National Park (under 5% a day), Manu National Park (under 5% a day) and Iguazú National Park (under 5% a day). It multiplies each animal's daily chance, as if they were independent, so read it as a rough guide.

Q: Which of Cats of the Americas is hardest to see?

Jaguar. In Tambopata National Reserve, the best park for Cats of the Americas, about about 10% of wildlife watchers report the jaguar on a given day, against about 10% for the ocelot. The hardest one decides how many days you need.

Q: How do you complete Cats of the Americas on Wallace's Line?

Mark them as seen. Tick ✓ Seen on each animal's card, add your trips, or link your iNaturalist account. Your passport counts Cats of the Americas three ways: anywhere in the world, all in one park, and all in a single trip.

The checklist: 3 animals

NT

Panthera onca

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

LC

Puma concolor

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

LC

Leopardus pardalis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Where to go

Chance of seeing in

Month by month at Tambopata National Reserve

~10%

Jan

~10%

Feb

~10%

Mar

<5%

Apr

<5%

May

<5%

Jun

<5%

Jul

<5%

Aug

<5%

Sep

<5%

Oct

<5%

Nov

<5%

Dec

Time of day

Where they are recorded most Parks with some of them

Parks

#	Park	Country	Animals	All 3 in 3 days
1	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	3 of 3	<5%
	Jaguar			~30%
	Mountain Lion			~30%
	Ocelot			~40%
2	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	3 of 3	<5%
	Jaguar			~50%
	Mountain Lion			~20%
	Ocelot			~20%
3	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	3 of 3	<5%
	Jaguar			~30%
	Mountain Lion			~20%
	Ocelot			~30%
4	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	3 of 3	<5%
	Jaguar			~30%
	Mountain Lion			~20%
	Ocelot			~30%
5	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	3 of 3	<5%
	Jaguar			~30%
	Mountain Lion			~20%
	Ocelot			~10%
6	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	2 of 3	Missing: Ocelot
	Jaguar			~70%
	Mountain Lion			~60%
7	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	2 of 3	Missing: Jaguar
	Mountain Lion			~20%
	Ocelot			~20%
8	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	1 of 3	Missing: Puma, Ocelot
	Jaguar			>90%
9	Torres del Paine National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~90%
10	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Puma
	Ocelot			~60%
11	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~60%
12	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	1 of 3	Missing: Puma, Ocelot
	Jaguar			~50%
13	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~50%
14	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~50%
15	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Puma, Ocelot
	Jaguar			~50%
16	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	1 of 3	Missing: Puma, Ocelot
	Jaguar			~50%
17	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Puma
	Ocelot			~40%
18	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~30%
19	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	1 of 3	Missing: Puma, Ocelot
	Jaguar			~30%
20	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Puma, Ocelot
	Jaguar			~30%
21	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~30%
22	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~30%
23	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~30%
24	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Puma
	Ocelot			~30%
25	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~30%
26	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~20%
27	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~20%
28	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Puma
	Ocelot			~20%
29	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~20%
30	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Ocelot
	Mountain Lion			~20%
31	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	1 of 3	Missing: Jaguar, Puma
	Ocelot			~20%

Zoos & centres

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	3 of 3 in captivity
2	Amaru	🇪🇨 Ecuador	3 of 3 in captivity
3	ARCAS Petén Education Centre	🇬🇹 Guatemala	3 of 3 in captivity
4	Audubon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 3 in captivity
5	Bioparque Los Ocarros	🇨🇴 Colombia	3 of 3 in captivity
6	Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos	🇧🇴 Bolivia	3 of 3 in captivity
7	Bioparque Wakatá	🇨🇴 Colombia	3 of 3 in captivity
8	Centro de Rescate Las Pumas	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	3 of 3 in captivity
9	Curitiba Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	3 of 3 in captivity
10	Ecological Center of Sonora	🇲🇽 Mexico	3 of 3 in captivity
11	Ecozoológico San Martín	🇪🇨 Ecuador	3 of 3 in captivity
12	El Paso Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 3 in captivity
13	Elmwood Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 3 in captivity
14	Fort Worth Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 3 in captivity
15	Fundação Zoobotânica de Marabá	🇧🇷 Brazil	3 of 3 in captivity
16	Gramado Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	3 of 3 in captivity
17	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 3 in captivity
18	Joya Grande	🇭🇳 Honduras	3 of 3 in captivity
19	La Paz Waterfall Gardens	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	3 of 3 in captivity
20	Memphis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 3 in captivity

Show all 20 Show fewer

Before you go

Where is the best place to see Cats of the Americas?

Tambopata National Reserve

In Tambopata National Reserve, Peru, the chance of seeing all 3 (jaguar, puma and ocelot) on the same day is under 5%, the highest of the 5 parks where all of them live, and over a three-day visit it rises to under 5%. Next come Yasuní National Park (under 5% a day), Manu National Park (under 5% a day) and Iguazú National Park (under 5% a day). It multiplies each animal's daily chance, as if they were independent, so read it as a rough guide.

Which of Cats of the Americas is hardest to see?

Jaguar

In Tambopata National Reserve, the best park for Cats of the Americas, about about 10% of wildlife watchers report the jaguar on a given day, against about 10% for the ocelot. The hardest one decides how many days you need.

How do you complete Cats of the Americas on Wallace's Line?

Mark them as seen

Tick ✓ Seen on each animal's card, add your trips, or link your iNaturalist account. Your passport counts Cats of the Americas three ways: anywhere in the world, all in one park, and all in a single trip.

← All challenges

Cats of the Americas

The checklist: 3 animals

Jaguar

Mountain Lion

Ocelot

Where to go

Month by month at Tambopata National Reserve

Month by month at Tambopata National Reserve

Month by month at Tambopata National Reserve

Month by month at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas

Month by month at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas

Month by month at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas

Time of day

Parks

Zoos & centres

Before you go

Where is the best place to see Cats of the Americas?

Which of Cats of the Americas is hardest to see?

How do you complete Cats of the Americas on Wallace's Line?