In November presentations at Prescott College (Prescott, Arizona) and the Carnivores Conference 2009 (Defenders of Wildlife, Denver), Dr. Tony Povilitis, head of the Jaguar Habitat Campaign, urged conservationists to press hard for a recovery program for the jaguar under the US Fish & Wildlife Service. His talks, emphasizing related policy issues and advocacy, focused on the need for the Service to begin the program. Recovery programs  are normally required for wildlife, such as the jaguar, that are on the US endangered species list.  The jaguar was so listed over a dozen years ago, but still does have even a federal recovery plan.

Dr. Povilitis recently wrote a letter to the US Fish & Wildlife Service director, Mr. Sam Hamilton, requesting on meeting on jaguar policy. His office was kind enough to arrange a forthcoming discussion between Mr. Gary Frazer, Assistance Director for Endangered Species, and Dr. Povilitis. We’re hoping for positive results!

Please sign and circulate our petition  to the US Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the US Fish & Wildlife Service for a Jaguar Recovery Program. It will be hand delivered by us to officials at a special event this coming spring.

Many thanks!

BUT WHERE’S THE JUSTIFICATION?

We asked the Director of the US Fish & Wildlife Service not to permit study-related capture of wild jaguars in the United States, given the recent tragic death of “Macho B,” uncertain capture-related risks, and the extreme rarity of the animals. Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle responded by saying that, while the agency currently has no permit applications to capture jaguars, it would nevertheless consider such. He did not provide our requested conservation justification for authorizing wild jaguar captures for research purposes.  Read: our letter and the FWS reply .

Controversy heats up…

Should wildlife researchers be allowed to capture Southwest jaguars for study, given the risk of injury or death to the extremely rare animals? After the capture-related death of “Macho B” in Arizona earlier this year, we asked the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to suspend its authorization of the activity.

 We applaud The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) for questioning the practice, and reporting on other recent research-related deaths of jaguars in nearby Mexico.

 The capture and handling of Southwest jaguars, a critically endangered species, can be justified only in terms of essential conservation benefits, clearly absent in this case.

 We are requesting written justification from the Service for continuing authorization of jaguar captures (Ltr to USFWS_6-17-09).

BAT for the Southwest Jaguar!

 Hear ye, Hear ye…Calling cyclists and supporters for the upcoming Jaguar Bike-A-Thon in Arizona.

We will be going the “extra mile” for the jaguar – pedaling a route of over 300 miles from the Arizona-Mexico border to Phoenix, Arizona, to demonstrate our strong support for bringing back the jaguar as a native species of the American Southwest.

We invite you to join us for all or part of this important event, or pledge your support and assistance (see check off below).

When: Spring 2010.  Exact dates to be decided.  Please fill out our Jaguar BAT Questionnaire .

Itinerary (Subject to change/modification): The US-Mexico Border at Sasabe; Arivaca; Coronado National Forest; Nogales area; Patagonia-Sonoita, Saguaro National Park;  Tucson; Oracle; Superior; Phoenix. We will make short stops in or near areas of important jaguar habitat, places where jaguars were know to have occurred, and locations where there are threats to jaguar habitat.

Objectives: Our purpose is to build public awareness and support for recovery of the endangered  jaguar in the American Southwest.  We will talk to people along our route and carry conservation messages from them along with proposals to restore the jaguar. We’ll present these to federal and state officials and elected leaders in Phoenix.

 ____Sign me up! I will peddle to show my support for jaguar recovery during all or part of the event. I will gladly help with costs for a jaguar T-shirt and other items to be worn or carried by our team while on the Jaguar Bike-A-Thon.

I want to support the Jaguar BAT! I can do so in the following way (s) (check off):        

  ___ give a donation                          ___provide/drive a support vehicle

  ___host cyclists along the route      ____other (please indicate):

Please send your name, address, e-mail, and interests to: Dr. Tony Povilitis, Jaguar Bike-A-Thon:

E-mail: tpovilitis@lifenetnature.org or c/o Janie, 5589 Timken Trail, Willcox, AZ 85643

FOUR ESSENTIAL STEPS

 
Our Request: Please end fence construction and begin fence removal where necessary to protect the jaguar and other transnational wildlife.
 
His Response: “This fence is not contiguous and consists of numerous, relatively short segments… the majority of the fence segments constructed are vehicle fence located in more rural areas that do not restrict large animal movement…pedestrian fencing …is generally located in more urban areas where it is unlikely that jaguar movement would occur…While I understand your recommendation…we will complete the fencing currently under contract.”
 
Mr. Scheid also informed us of an agreement between his agency and the US Department of the Interior to “mitigate unavoidable impacts” of fencing on the jaguar and on cultural and natural resources.
 
Comment: It seems that Mr. Scheid may be badly misinformed about the extent of the hugh metalic fence across the border between Arizona and Mexico. We contacted his office for clarification and asked for their map of fencing locations, and for specifics on the anticipated “mitigation” and exactly how it would help the jaguar (CPB_letter5-20-09). We have since received a helpful reply from Mr. Christopher Oh, director of the Environmental Division, US Customs and Border Protection.

Efforts at mitigating border fence impacts on the jaguar should be part of an overall  program for jaguar recovery. We urge Sec. Napolitano to discuss the  need for a jaguar recovery plan with Sec. Salazar, led by the US Fish & Wildlife Service (Napolitano_letter5-20-09).

 
#3. An Arizona Game and Fish Department policy in support of jaguar recovery.
 
Arizona’s state wildlife agency, as well as New Mexico’s, needs to agree to jaguar recovery and begin working towards that end. Our latest call for jaguar recovery is to  Larry Volyes, director of AGFD (letter_l-voyles_4-16-09) asking that him to commit his agency to reestablishing a population of jaguars, noting similar efforts in Arizona on behalf of endangered species such as the black-footed ferret and the Californian condor. We have since asked to meet with Mr. Volyes to discuss jaguar recovery.
 
#4. Suspension of capture related research following the recent death of an Arizona jaguar (Macho B).
 
On March 9, 2009, we wrote to Rowan Gould, then acting director of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, asking him to revoke authority to state wildlife agencies to capture jaguar for radio-collaring (letter_usfws_3-9-09).  In lieu of that action, we asked for a complete scientifically based justification for risking the lives of rare jaguars (obviously somewhat rhetorically, as we firmly believe there is none). We received a reply from the agency that fell short.

April 16, 2009

“Government Shrugs as Wild Jaguars Disappear from the United States”

Arizona media  press-release_az_4-16-09  

National media press-release_general_4-16-09

Dear Mr. Voyles,

In your recent Arizona Republic editorial, you wisely called for a broader, forward-looking discussion on the future of the jaguar and other wildlife in Arizona, given our rapidly growing human population.

However, talk alone will not save the jaguar. This is abundantly clear after more than a decade of AGFD led stakeholder meetings on jaguar conservation. Strong leadership and bold decision-making by your agency are now needed.

The story of the Arizona jaguar known as Macho B can benefit conservation only if the facts of his tragic death are made fully transparent, and only if AGFD fully commits itself to the goal of restoring the species. For example, why was snare trapping permitted in areas known to be used by Macho B, an exceptionally old individual? Did AGFD assess the risk of injury or death to him, in the event he was caught?  And why did it not require state biologists to use box or “culvert” traps instead of snares, so that Macho B could be released promptly without need for drug immobilization and handling.  Evidence shows that Macho B’s capture contributed to, if not caused, his death.

You should suspend any plans AGFD may have to capture other jaguars in Arizona. The risk of injuring or killing another rare jaguar cannot be justified, certainly not in the name of science. The jaguar’s future in Arizona does not depend on data from a radio-collared individual or two, but rather on a clear commitment by our state wildlife agency to recover the species.

We urge AGFD to vigorously protect what remains of jaguar habitat, particularly wildlife movement corridors in the southern part of our state. These have been identified by wildlife scientists, including some in your agency. They are seriously threatened by urban sprawl and other factors. If these habitat “linkages” are severed, the jaguar will be gone forever, and other large mammals, including game species, will be at risk.

AGFD should also evaluate options for rebuilding jaguar numbers through reintroduction. To avoid the pitfalls of agency politics, an independent authority, such as the American Society of Mammalogists or the Society for Conservation Biology, should conduct this study.

Finally, please make every effort to work with the federal government to allow movement of jaguars and other wildlife across the US-Mexico border. There are options for controlling illegal human access to Arizona other than permanent barrier fencing that blocks wildlife.

Sincerely,

Tony Povilitis, Ph.D.
Jaguar Habitat Campaign

We challenge the Arizona Game and Fish Department to take the lead, as Arizona’s public wildlife agency, to secure habitat for jaguar in southern Arizona over the next 3-5 years, and to commit to restoring the jaguar as a native species of the Southwest. Read our letters to AGFD and their replies:

jhc-ltr-4-16-09

jhc-ltr-12-15-08   agfd-reply-1-6-09

jhc-ltr-7-7-08  agfd-reply-10-15-08