Northern Jaguar Project

What Northern Jaguar Project does

Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) is a US-based 501(c)-style nonprofit founded in 2003 to protect the world's northernmost breeding population of the jaguar in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Its core product is the over 56,000-acre Northern Jaguar Reserve in Sonora, Mexico, assembled through staged land purchases between 2003 and 2019 across six former ranches (Los Pavos, Zetázora, Carricito, Tézotas, Bábaco I, Bábaco II). Titles to the reserve are held by a separate Mexican nonprofit, Asociación Conservación del Norte, A.C., creating a binational operational structure with a Tucson, Arizona administrative office and a Sahuaripa, Sonora field office.

NJP's program portfolio is built on four pillars: scientific research (a network of 200+ motion-triggered cameras generating a reviewed archive of over 1.6 million photographs and 3,200 videos, used to track individual jaguars across years); the Viviendo con Felinos® rancher partnership program, currently covering 21 collaborating ranches and a 150+ square mile buffer zone; habitat restoration (buffelgrass removal, gabion construction, erosion control, fencing); and youth outreach through Eco-Guardian clubs delivered with the Mexican partner Conciencia y Educación Ambiental, A.C. The reserve operates as an "umbrella species" conservation model, protecting jaguars and the broader ecosystem (mammals, birds, herpetofauna, plants, invertebrates) under one management regime.

The business model is donation-funded: individual one-time and monthly recurring donations processed through the website are the primary revenue stream, supplemented by cause-marketing partnerships (Heliotrope jewelry donating 15% of sales, Food Conspiracy Co-op Round Up, Summit Hut Banff Festival giving), grants, volunteer labor, and merchandise. Pricing is tierless donation amounts with optional designation to land purchase, general operations, or a stewardship fund. Go-to-market is community-led, combining field presence, earned media (Discovery Channel, USA Today, New York Times coverage), and community events (Día del jaguar festival, Viviendo con Felinos fiestas, Arizona Gives Day, Giving Tuesday).

Name

Northern Jaguar Project

Legal name

Northern Jaguar Project

Website

https://northernjaguarproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northern Jaguar Project is a US-Mexico binational nonprofit that protects the world's northernmost jaguar population through a 56,000+ acre reserve in Sonora, a rancher partnership program, camera-trap research, and youth environmental education, funded primarily by individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Guided Wildlife Safaris & Game Drives (Sanctuary/Reserve-Based) (THAAAFAF)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Jaguar habitat protection
• Camera trap monitoring
• Rancher partnership programs
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary revenue source - one-time and recurring monthly donations from individual supporters, processed through the organization's website
2. Corporate Partnerships and Merchandise: Revenue from partnership arrangements such as Heliotrope jewelry (15% of sales donated) and Round Up programs at local businesses
3. Volunteer and Intern Program: Volunteer support for field operations including camera maintenance, restoration work, photography, and administrative tasks

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Northern Jaguar Project is a binational nonprofit that owns and manages the over 56,000-acre Northern Jaguar Reserve in Sonora, Mexico and partners with 21 ranches through the Viviendo con Felinos® program to create a 150+ square-mile protected buffer for the world's northernmost breeding jaguar population. It runs a 200+ motion-triggered camera monitoring network that has produced a database of 1.6 million+ photographs and 3,200 videos used for individual jaguar identification and population research. Complementary programs include youth environmental education via Eco-Guardian clubs and on-the-ground habitat restoration (water conservation, gabion construction, buffelgrass removal).

Product overview

Northern Jaguar Project is a conservation organization operating a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on protecting the world's northernmost jaguar population. The core offering is the 56,000-acre Northern Jaguar Reserve, complemented by the Viviendo con Felinos® rancher partnership program, scientific research/monitoring, youth outreach through the Eco-Guardians program, and habitat restoration efforts. These programs work together to provide safe spaces for jaguars, engage local communities, and protect whole ecosystems under the jaguar's umbrella of protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Northern Jaguar Reserve
• Viviendo con Felinos®
• Scientific Research and Monitoring Program
• Youth Outreach / Eco-Guardians Program
• Eco-Guardians Coloring Book
• Habitat Restoration Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 182,000+ acres of protected habitat for jaguar conservation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HeliotropeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership where Heliotrope artist Spring Winders creates jaguar-themed jewelry (bolo ties, earrings, necklaces, rings) and 15% of sales are donated to NJP.
• Food Conspiracy Co-opminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Round Up donation program where spare change from purchases supports NJP conservation work.
• Summit HutminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Banff Mountain Film Festival partner that donates a portion of ticket sales back to community organizations including NJP.
• Border Arts CorridorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration on the Un-Fragmenting / Des-Fragmentando art installation projecting jaguar images onto the U.S.-Mexico border wall to bring attention to wildlife impacts.
• Casa de la CulturaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration on the Un-Fragmenting / Des-Fragmentando art installation projecting jaguar images onto the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
• Conciencia y Educación Ambiental, A.C.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2006Environmental education partner that designs and implements youth outreach activities including workshops on species identification, water conservation, climate change, and ecological topics. Santa and Blanca Nápoles founded the organization in 2003.
• Nature and Culture InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Borderlands Linkages Initiative to identify critical wildlife corridors between private and government reserves. NJP works with NCI to protect connectivity across the borderlands landscape.
• Wildlands NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Borderlands Linkages Initiative to identify critical wildlife corridors between private and government reserves.
• Sky Island AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Borderlands Linkages Initiative to identify critical wildlife corridors between private and government reserves.
• Cuenca Los OjoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Borderlands Linkages Initiative to identify critical wildlife corridors between private and government reserves.
• Rancho El AribabicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Borderlands Linkages Initiative to identify critical wildlife corridors between private and government reserves.
• NaturaliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConnected NJP with Conciencia y Educación Ambiental in 2006 to implement a pilot environmental education program in Sahuaripa.
• Nature and Culture InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed México conservation program and established effective protected areas; NJP Executive Director Lydia Lozano Angulo previously worked there for almost a decade.
• Arizona Trail AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeeds of Stewardship program provided gear loan for Eco-Guardian campout on the Northern Jaguar Reserve.
• Optics for the TropicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated binoculars for Eco-Guardian outings and wildlife observation activities.
• BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Art and Salvage)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated bikes for raffle at Viviendo con Felinos celebration event.
• Asociación Conservación del Norte, A.C.coreOthersMexican non-profit organization that holds title to Northern Jaguar Reserve properties and serves as the authorized non-for-profit in Mexico.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Defenders of Wildlife: U.S. wildlife conservation nonprofit with significant Mexican gray wolf and large carnivore programs. Comparable in carnivore conservation focus and policy advocacy, though more U.S.-policy-oriented than land-acquisition driven.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation organization with jaguar conservation programs across the species' range. Comparable as a brand-driven, donation-funded conservation NGO, but at dramatically greater scale and broader portfolio than NJP.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Wildlife conservation organization combining field programs, zoos, and research. Comparable in scientific research, protected-area management, and community-based conservation, though it operates at global institutional scale.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC): One of the largest global conservation NGOs, operating through land acquisition, reserve management, and scientific research. Comparable in business model and methods but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.

Direct peers

• Sky Island Alliance: U.S.–Mexico borderlands conservation nonprofit focused on the Sky Island region. Highly comparable as a binational partner of NJP, working on habitat connectivity, wildlife corridors, and community-based conservation in the same Sonoran geography.
• Nature and Culture International: Latin American land conservation nonprofit and NJP partner. Closely comparable because NJP's Executive Director previously ran NCI's México program, and both organizations use land acquisition and protected-area establishment as core strategies.
• Wildlands Network: Wildlife corridor and connectivity-focused nonprofit and an existing NJP partner in the Borderlands Linkages Initiative. Comparable mission in landscape-scale carnivore corridor protection and binational U.S.–Mexico conservation strategy.
• Panthera: Global wild cat conservation nonprofit with dedicated jaguar programs across Latin America. Highly comparable as a species-focused NGO deploying camera-trap research, community engagement, and protected-area management similar to NJP's Viviendo con Felinos model.
• Cuenca Los Ojos: Borderlands conservation and restoration foundation in Sonora, and an existing NJP partner. Comparable as a private landowner-led reserve model restoring watersheds and wildlife habitat adjacent to NJP's reserve.

Regional players

• Center for Biological Diversity: U.S.-based biodiversity advocacy nonprofit focused on endangered species and habitat protection. Comparable in jaguar and borderlands wildlife advocacy but primarily operates through legal/regulatory channels rather than direct land management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIk1mGdW77u3ECh9vjqdBjw
• Facebookweb.facebook.com/pg/reservajaguardelnorte/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/northernjaguarproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northern Jaguar Project