Wild Jaguar captured in Arizona

[agchawk]

They've been tracking the repopulation of wild Jaguars in the desert SW for years and have actually captured a few on trail cams over the last few years. This is the first one actually caught by the Arizona Game Department. I just thought it was a pretty cool article. What a BEAUTIFUL animal too!

This is not a "re-introduction" effort. These big cats have slowly made thier way from local populations in Mexico due to proper management practices. The wild Jaguar is also one of the big concerns as far as wildlife preservation goes if they do indeed ever fence off the Mexican boarder.

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TUCSON, Ariz. -- State game officials say they have captured and collared the first wild jaguar in Arizona.

The male jaguar was collared southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears.

"While we didn't set out to collar a jaguar as part of the mountain lion and bear research project, we took advantage of an important opportunity," says Terry Johnson, endangered species coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish officials said jaguars have been photographed sporadically along the Arizona border over the years but none had ever been captured by the agency.

The jaguar was fitted with a satellite tracking collar and then released, Johnson said.

The collar will provide biologists with location points every three hours. Early tracking indicates that the cat is doing well and has already travelled more than three miles from the capture site.

The data produced by the collar will shed light on a little-studied population segment of this species that uses southern Arizona and New Mexico as the northern extent of its range.

"More than 10 years ago, Game and Fish attempted to collar a jaguar with no success," Johnson said. "Since then, we've established handling protocols in case we inadvertently captured a jaguar in the course of one of our other wildlife management activities."

The collared jaguar weighed in at 118 pounds with a thick and solid build, Johnson said. Field biologists' assessment shows the cat appeared to be healthy and hardy.

The species has been protected outside of the United States under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. That protection was extended to jaguars within the U.S. in 1997, the year after their presence in the Arizona and New Mexico borderlands was confirmed.

"We issued a permit under the Endangered Species Act to radio collar a jaguar if the opportunity presented itself," said Steve Spangle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Arizona field supervisor. "Gathering habitat use information and learning whether and how the cat is moving in and out of the United States may be essential to jaguar conservation at the northern edge of their range."

In 1997, a team was established in Arizona and New Mexico to protect and conserve the species. The Jaguar Conservation Team (JCT) began working with Mexico two years later, recognizing that the presence of jaguars in the United States depends on the conservation of the species in Mexico.

Trail cameras and field monitoring are carried out by the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, a group that works in cooperation with the JCT. Jaguars once ranged from southern South America through Central America and Mexico and into the southern United States.

By the late 1900s, jaguars were thought to be gone from the U.S. landscape, but two independent sightings in 1996 confirmed that jaguars still used Arizona and New Mexico as part of the northern most extent of its range.

Jaguars are the only cat in North America that roars. They prey on a variety of mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. Individuals in the northern population weigh between 80-120 pounds. Females breed year-round and have litters of one to four cubs that stay with their mother for nearly two years.

[WDFW-SUX]

Absolutely beautiful creature.

[sisu]

Thanks for posting this. Great picture and story.

[C-Money]

Very cool, I never knew that we had those cats in the U.S. Great story. Hope they don't slow the boarder fence because of a few kitties. We will need to design a Jaguar ladder that is mexican proof!

[agchawk]

Kinda like a fish ladder, right C-Money?

Actually, I was thinking...With a robust Jaguar population roaming the boarder, ya think that would help thin out the herds of illegals coming across? Just keep the big cats hungry and we'd have a natural boarder patrol!

[C-Money]

Great thinking Agchawk! We need to work hard to enhance the Jaguar population to protect our borders!

[andrew_12gauge]

and it would reduce the federal budget because we wouldnt have to pay as money border patrol agents

[509er]

cool story

[rasbo]

beautiful cats,I have heard of black panther sightings also,anyone else hear that

[Dansk]

The history channel showed a special on this with trail cam pics from 2004 and later.  They also showed some pics from 1800's of ranchers/settlers who shot some huge jaguars.

http://www.history.com/video.do?name=monsterquest&bcpid=1541043115&bclid=9548353001&bctid=4671934001

[agchawk]

Dansk, thanks for the link! I remember when the trail cam pics were taken and I also remember their initial efforts to color one of these big cats.

I had no idea that they had done a television special on it though.

As for the old days...there is still a listing for Jaguar in the North American record books. Of course, those records will probably never be challenged.

[Houndhunter]

when i get enough money im gonna run them with hounds, might be quite a few years though

[andrew_12gauge]

I just read on msn news that this jaguar had to be put down today due to medical complications from when it was trapped, sad to see

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29529179/wid/18298287/?GT1=45002

[WAcoueshunter]

Yeah, and now the Center for Biological Diversity is fired up about the lack of "critical habitat" for jaguars.  Wonder how that plays out with the border issues?  If they build a fence, will they have to build a jaguar ladder?   

"The Tucson, Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity will be in federal district court in Tucson on March 23 in its lawsuit against a Bush-era U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refusal to develop a recovery plan and designate critical habitat for the jaguar."

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2009/03/only-known-wild-jaguar-in-us-dies.html

Do you think AZ G&F is regretting its decision to publicize the jaguar capture?

[robb92]

Cool story. Thanks for posting it.