Current:Home > BackEndangered jaguar previously unknown to U.S. is caught on camera in Arizona-InfoLens
Endangered jaguar previously unknown to U.S. is caught on camera in Arizona
View Date:2024-12-23 14:28:48
There's been another jaguar sighting in southern Arizona and it's the eighth different jaguar documented in the southwestern U.S. since 1996, according to wildlife officials.
Jason Miller, a hobbyist wildlife videographer who posts trail camera footage online, captured the image of a roaming jaguar late last month in the Huachuca Mountains near Tucson, CBS affiliate KPHO-TV reported.
A spokesman for the Arizona Game and Fish Department said the agency has authenticated Miller's footage and has confirmed this is a new jaguar to the United States.
The animals were placed on the endangered species list in 1997 after being removed in 1980.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated about 750,000 acres of critical protected habitat for the jaguars along the border in southern Arizona and New Mexico.
Authorities said Arizona jaguars are part of the species' northern population, including Sonora, Mexico's breeding population.
"I'm certain this is a new jaguar, previously unknown to the United States," said Russ McSpadden, a southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. "After being nearly wiped out, these majestic felines continue to reestablish previously occupied territory despite border wall construction, new mines, and other threats to their habitat."
Officials said the rosette pattern on each jaguar is unique - just like a human fingerprint - and helps identify specific animals.
The new video shows that the cat is not Sombra or El Jefe, two jaguars known to have roamed Arizona in recent years. Last year, officials said El Jefe -- or "The Boss" -- managed to cross the heavily guarded U.S.-Mexico border.
The gender of the newly spotted jaguar is unclear.
"Whether male or female, this new jaguar is going to need a mate. Now is the time for us to have a serious conversation and take action to bring jaguars back," Megan Southern, jaguar recovery coordinator with The Rewilding Institute, told Phoenix TV station KPNX.
Jaguars are the only big cat found in the Americas and third-largest cat in the world after tigers and lions, according to National Geographic. KPHO-TV reports they've been seen on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, in the mountains of southern California, and even in Louisiana.
- In:
- Endangered Species
- Arizona
veryGood! (24777)
Related
- Subway rider who helped restrain man in NYC chokehold death says he wanted ex-Marine to ‘let go’
- Man accused of killing American tourist in Budapest, putting her body in suitcase: Police
- Kristin Cavallari's Ex Mark Estes Jokingly Proposed to This Love Island USA Star
- The Best Corduroy Pants Deals from J.Crew Outlet, Old Navy, Levi’s & More, Starting at $26
- King Charles III celebrates 76th birthday amid cancer battle, opens food hubs
- Kristin Cavallari's Ex Mark Estes Jokingly Proposed to This Love Island USA Star
- South Carolina lab recaptures 5 more escaped monkeys but 13 are still loose
- Georgia House Republicans stick with leadership team for the next two years
- ‘Heretic’ and Hugh Grant debut with $11 million, but ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ tops box office again
- Brian Austin Green’s Fiancée Sharna Burgess Celebrates Megan Fox’s Pregnancy News
Ranking
- Brands Our Editors Are Thankful For in 2024
- The ancient practice of tai chi is more popular than ever. Why?
- Katherine Schwarzenegger Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 3 With Chris Pratt
- South Carolina lab recaptures 5 more escaped monkeys but 13 are still loose
- Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
- Repair Hair Damage In Just 90 Seconds With This Hack from WNBA Star Kamilla Cardoso
- Taylor Swift Becomes Auntie Tay In Sweet Photo With Fellow Chiefs WAG Chariah Gordon's Daughter
- Wind-whipped wildfire near Reno prompts evacuations but rain begins falling as crews arrive
Recommendation
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader Throws Shade At Her DWTS Partner Sasha Farber Amid Romance Rumors
-
Sean Diddy Combs' Lawyers File New Motion for Bail, Claiming Evidence Depicts a Consensual Relationship
-
My Little Pony finally hits the Toy Hall of Fame, alongside Phase 10 and Transformers
-
Engines on 1.4 million Honda vehicles might fail, so US regulators open an investigation
-
Chicago Bears will ruin Caleb Williams if they're not careful | Opinion
-
This is Your Sign To Share this Luxury Gift Guide With Your Partner *Hint* *Hint
-
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson weighs in on report that he would 'pee in a bottle' on set