Biologist pleads guilty to luring America’s last jaguar to trap

Emil McCain pleads guilty to a misdemeanor crime: illegal take of an endangered species-

Jaguar trapper guilty. Arizona Daily Star

Accounts conflict on how jaguar was trapped

Was Macho B intentionally caught?

The question about whether or not jaguar scat was placed at the trap site or not is the focus of the article. One former employee says she placed the scat at the trap site on the orders of her boss while the employee who was fire recently says she is lying.

Some have suggested to me that the use of a snare may have greatly contributed to Macho B’s death. There are photos of his paw which show it being swollen and that this may have caused much stress as well as caused infection.

Accounts conflict on how jaguar was trapped
Tony Davis Arizona Daily Star

More on the jaguar

Panthera, devoted to conserving wildcats, not thrilled by decision to set aside “critical habitat” for jaguar-

In his NYT op-ed piece yesterday,  “Jaguars Don’t Live Here Anymore,” Alan Rabinowitz, head of Panthera, is not thrilled that USFWS has finally decided to start the ESA process of designating critical habitat for the jaguar in the United States. It is now possible there are no more jaguar here.

Rabinowitz argues that the United States has never been more than marginal jaguar habitat and the money should be spent recovering and protecting the real, and large, but declining jaguar population of Mexico, Central and South America.

It is true that money spent in the U.S. may be pretty marginal to conserving the species, but it’s not like there is one pot of money for the jaguar and designating critical habitat siphons money out of protecting the true jaguar population.

I would say that if USFWS completely ignored any protection for American jaguar, not an extra dime would be generated for south of the border efforts. On the other hand, efforts at  jaguar restoration where Americans live will likely generate interest and support for jaguar conservation in general.

Arizona Intentionally Snared Last Jaguar, Inquiry Finds

Does this mean they deliberately killed the state’s last jaguar?

Arizona Intentionally Snared Last Jaguar, Inquiry Finds. By Leslie Kaufman. New York Times.

Victory for Jaguars: Obama Pledges Recovery Plan, Habitat Protection

Good news below in the press release from the Center for Biological Diversity-

Capping a 13-year battle to save the American jaguar from extinction, this week the Center for Biological Diversity won a decision from the Obama administration to develop a recovery plan and protect essential habitat for North America’s largest and most endangered cat.

The Bush administration had twice declared that it would not recover, reintroduce, or do anything to protect jaguars in the United States. Twice the Center’s legal team filed suit and struck down the illegal decisions. This left the final decision up to Obama, but until the last moment, we were uncertain he would do the right thing as he has not made endangered species a priority to date.

Now that the Obama administration has committed to developing a federal recovery plan and mapping out the jaguar’s critical habitat, the long, hard work of saving the American jaguar can begin.

Read more in the Arizona Daily Star.

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Earlier we had reported bad news. U.S. Fish and Wildlife misses deadline on jaguar recovery plan

U.S. Fish and Wildlife misses deadline on jaguar recovery plan

On last day of court-ordered deadline, USFWS does not announce plan, but asks for an extension-

U.S. Fish and Wildlife misses deadline on jaguar recovery plan. By Susan Montoya Bryan. Associated Press.

Permit for jaguar’s capture questioned

Documents and e-mails suggest state may have lacked authority to take cat

Macho B after being collared

Could the capture and subsequent death of the only wild jaguar in the U.S. by Arizona Game and Fish have been illegal?

Permit for jaguar’s capture questioned
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Federal Criminal Investigation begins of Death of Last Known Jaguar in U.S.

U.S. Opens Criminal Inquiry Into Death of Arizona Jaguar. By John Dougherty.NYTimes.com

I baited jaguar trap, research worker says

Former Arizona Game and Fish Employee claims she was told to bait the trap with female jaguar scat obtained from the Phoenix Zoo or the Reid Park Zoo.

I baited jaguar trap, research worker says
Arizona Daily Star

Macho B after being collared. Arizona Game and Fish

Win on Jaguar Critical Habitat!

Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity score big victory for the big cat-

This could mean that critical habitat for the jaguar will have to be established in the United States and even a reintroduction.

U.S. District Court judge orders new review for jaguar habitat. By Arthur H. Rotstein. AP in the Arizona Republic.

News release from the Center for Biological Diversity.

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Earlier on this blog. Whither a recovery plan for the jaguar?

They had to kill the jaguar to save the jaguar

USFWS and Arizona Game and Fish in a sloppy screw-up?

An interesting article today in Demarcated Landscapes.

Update. Jaguar may have experienced ‘capture myopathy’. Necropsy by zoo inconclusive, two outside vets say. By Tim Steller. Arizona Daily Star

Update 4/2. I baited jaguar trap, research worker says. Attorney general opens investigation into capture. Biologist denies telling worker to use scat to lure cat.  State claimed Macho B’s capture was inadvertent. By Tony Davis and Tim Steller. Arizona Daily Star.

Update 4/2. Grijalva calls for federal investigation of jaguar’s death. B. POOLE and RYN GARGULINSKI. Tucson Citizen

Whither a recovery plan for the jaguar?

Jaguar court fight centers on habitat. By Tony Davis. Arizona Daily Star

Can the jaguar be recovered in the United States or must efforts be focused further to the south?

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Michael Robinson on the lawsuit for a recovery plan and critical habitat for the jaguar. Center for Biological Diversity video.

Collared Arizona jaguar dies of kidney failure

Demarcated Landscapes has this post concerning the death of an Arizona jaguar that was recently collared in an effort to track its movement.

They killed “euthanized” Macho B – DL

This is a particularly saddening loss – there have been only 4 jaguars known to have visited north of the border in recent years. Macho B was the most frequently seen, visiting annually since at least 1996 and he was the only jaguar known to visit this year. One of the 4 was killed in Mexico. With the border wall advancing, the sunset on jaguar inhabitation of America becomes more and more evident.

Update: Arizona jaguar’s death probably hastened by capture, zoo veterinarian says – LA Times

Update: Press Conference on Macho B’s Untimely Death

Information on Macho B

Thanks to Ron Kearns for pointing this video and information out

Group sues, says fence impedes jaguars

Group sues, says fence impedes jaguars. JJ Hensley. The Arizona Republic

The fence has doomed jaguar recover in the Southwest unless there is an organized reintroduction like the wolf to the Northern Rockies.

USFWS spurns any plans for jaguar recovery in the United States

Jaguar recovery efforts lack support from federal agency. By Staci Matlock. The New Mexican

More from National Geographic News. Added 1-23-2008. U.S. Jaguar Plan Foiled by Border Fence, Critics Say. H. Josef Hebert. Associated Press