There is a lot happening in the wild felid (cat) world right now! Uttarakhand’s high court just passed a landmark ruling, a new ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) den was recently found in Texas, and a potentially new jaguar was photographed in Arizona at the start of this month. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has now confirmed that that individual has never been photographed in the United States before.
According to this press release, five scientists from the AZGFD analyzed the jaguar (Panthera onca) in question. Its spot pattern did not match any known individuals, suggesting this is the first time it has been seen in the state. This is exciting news, because until now El Jefe was believed to be the only jaguar in the U.S. Now there might be two, although El Jefe has not been seen since September 2015.
As encouraging as this story is, it is important to point out that this new jaguar is believed to be a male. With no confirmed females in Arizona, the recovery of the species is still a ways off. This will especially be true if the proposed wall along the U.S. – Mexico border does not allow for wildlife crossings. Given the current political climate, the best move for now is to focus on conserving jaguars in the Mexican state of Sonora: as this is where jaguars sighted in the U.S. are believed to originate from. Supporting groups like the Northern Jaguar Project will help with this goal. It is also important to remember that wild animals have no conception of national boundaries. We need to make sure that border security does not unduly disrupt their abilities to move throughout the landscape.