US Fish and Wildlife Service to authorize more jaguar captures

Macho B in snare before his death

The US Fish and Wildlife Service says that it intends to allow the Arizona Game and Fish Department to again capture jaguars (see letter), despite the agency’s gross negligence and related criminal activity in the death of the Arizona jaguar known as Macho B in 2009.  The draft permit would not prevent another Macho B tragedy and would allow using snares (like the one in the photo) in an area where jaguars may occur.

We responded immediately, pointing out these problems and the absurdity of issuing a research permit to capture jaguars to a state wildlife agency with such a dismal record.

Is the US Fish & Wildlife Service serious about Jaguar Recovery?

After years of excuses and foot-dragging, and prodding from a federal court, the US Fish & Wildlife Service announced  (Jan 10, 2010) that it would finally prepare a recovery plan and protect critical habitat for the jaguar.  We were exuberant and have since geared up to promote a sound jaguar recovery program that the nation can be proud of.

Then, in March, a high ranking Fish & Wildlife official cast a shadow of doubt as he announced to the Associated Press that the Service is “going to concentrate on the fact that the jaguar barely occurs in the U.S. and so the amount of habitat that is truly critical to its recovery is going to be much smaller that it would be for a widespread species such as the spotted owl or lynx.”

The statement was remarkable because it signaled that the Service would focus on protecting habitat in a small area of most recent jaguar occurrence along the US-Mexico border rather than take a broader approach and also work to protect habitat in areas that once had jaguars and are needed for species recovery.  The statement came before the Service had time to consider public and professional comments in support of a genuine recovery effort.

We immediately contacted Mr. Steve Spangle, Arizona supervisor for the Service, to see if his quote was accurate. Mr. Spangle confirmed that it was, but offered no clarification as to whether the Service intended to protect habitat adequate for a jaguar population or just for a few animals that would be confined to small borderland areas.

Jaguars were killed off and as a species disappeared from almost all of their former range in the U.S. Some have moved north in recent years from a small, struggling population in Sonora, Mexico. Protection of key habitat areas and connecting habitat linkages is needed to allow the jaguar to return home and rebuild its numbers. Then, together with conservation efforts in Mexico, a jaguar population could be restored.

Read the exchange of emails between Dr. Tony Povilitis of the Jaguar Habitat Campaign and Mr. Steve Spangle of the Fish & Wildlife Service.

Time for the Jaguar

Once in a long while something big happens that improves our relationship with nature. Here in the Southwest, I think we are on the cusp of that now with the real possibility of restoring the jaguar as a native species.
 
Saving the jaguar means renewing our commitment to honor nature and prevent her disappearance from our culture. The return of the jaguar would help revitalize our sense of natural wonder, and the wild spirit upon which we thrive.
 
Historically, jaguars lived in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, with some reports as far north as Colorado and east to the Ohio Valley and the Appalachian Mountains. They were decimated by hunting and efforts to eliminate wild predators.
 
You may know that the US Fish & Wildlife Service has announced after many years of debate that it will prepare a recovery plan for the jaguar. But what comes next will depend on public interest. And that’s where you and I come in:
 
1. Support the Jaguar Bike-A-Thon (JBAT) in Arizona, 15-22 April. You can bicycle for all or part of the trip, help on the ground with direct support for cyclists, or send a donation to help us cover costs for t-shirts, camping permits, lodging, transportation, and other expenses (__$20 __$50 __$100 or other amount – tax deductible: make your check payable to Life Net and mail to 6423 South Bascom Trail, Willcox, AZ 85643).
 
The JBAT will begin at a campground in the oak woodlands near the US-Mexico border near Nogales, AZ, then continue north through the towns of Patagonia, Tucson, Oracle, and Globe, ending with a rally in Phoenix on Earth Day. It’s about 300 miles in all.
 
2. Endorse the Citizens’ Statement of Support for Recovering the Jaguar as a Native Species of the U.S. Send me your name and address and I’ll add you to our endorsement list. The support statement will be delivered at the end of the JBAT to the US Fish & Wildlife Service on Earth Day, April 22.
 
Please be sure to let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss any details.
 
For the jaguar,
 
Tony Povilitis, PhD
Jaguar Habitat Campaign
tpovilitis@lifenetnature.org

Unequivocally End Jaguar Captures By Arizona

We ask the US Fish & Wildlife Service to prohibit capture of jaguars by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD). Our request is especially relevent since the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of the Interior reported misdoings and possible criminal activity in connection with AGFD’s capture of the jaguar known as Macho B, and his subsequent death.

We applaud Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva in calling for the Service to suspend all authorization by the AGFD to manage jaguars until the situation is corrected. Tucson’s Arizona Daily Star provides further details.

Petition for a Jaguar Recovery Program

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!