On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a new regulation, effective immediately, that significantly reduces the designated territory for jaguars in the American southwest. The new and final rule removes 64,797 acres of the jaguar’s critical habitat designation, in compliance with an earlier court ruling. That leaves approximately 640,000 acres for the jaguars across Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz counties.
While this may seem harsh, the sad reality is that jaguars (Panthera onca) have been increasingly sparse in the United States. Indeed, many people may not even realize they are native here. But in an encouraging sign for wildlife, their scarcity is slowly reversing.
This year, there have been multiple witness reports of jaguars at the U.S.-Mexico border, indicating the majestic spotted wild cat is making a steady comeback in the southwestern United States. It all comes down to conservationist groups who capture images of the animals using photographic and video recording equipment.
