Quite recently, Conservation CATalyst, an NGO whose mandate is to track down and conserve endangered felines, has released a jaw-dropping footage about North America’s only known wild jaguar. Aletris Neils, founder and executive director of Conservation CATalyst, said that El Jafe is the only known jaguar in America. Jaguars – the third largest cats in the world after tigers and lions – tend to be solitary animals, so it is not unusual that El Jefe was found traveling alone.
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He’s been living in these mountains, about 25 miles south of downtown Tucson for more than three years, the Center for Biological Diversity reports.
This powerful beast, which is characterized by easily identifiable distinctive spots on the body, was placed on the endangered species list in 1972. Captured on remote sensor cameras in the Santa Rita Mountains just outside of Tucson, the dramatic footage provides a glimpse of the secretive life of one of nature’s most majestic and charismatic creatures. The only other documented male in recent years, Macho B, had to be put down as a result of “capture-related injuries” in March 2009.
The closest region with a breeding population is Sonora, and that’s why researchers believe that’s where El Jefe may have come from.
Not only is El Jefe the last wild jaguar in the USA, but the animal is also steering clear from human presence. However, the Tuscan, which is home to the jaguar in the U.S., could be destroyed by a copper mine planted in the area.
“El Jefe”, which means “the boss” in Spanish, was the name chosen by local school kids through the Center for Biological Diversity in October. “It’s our job to make sure that his home is protected and he can get what he needs to survive”.
Such conservation efforts are especially important nowadays, given that plans are underway to build the Rosemont Copper mine right in the middle of the Santa Rita Mountains, therefore putting at risk the survival of these already threatened big cats. In 2014 the Center secured more than 750,000 acres of federally protected critical habitat for USA jaguar recovery. In April 2010, we filed a notice of intent to sue the predator-control branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its use of traps, snares and poisons that risk injuring or killing both jaguars and ocelots in the Southwest; two months later, we filed a notice over the Fish and Wildlife Service’s permit authorizing Arizona Game and Fish to “take” jaguars with traps and snares.
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“A lot of people have no idea that we have jaguars in the United States or that they belong here”, said Randy Serraglio of the Tucson-based environmental group.
