What is the story on jaguars in Arizona and in the Tumacacori Highlands?
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a charismatic symbol of the diversity and health of the place that it lives. Once found as far north as the Grand Canyon, jaguars were hunted until they were thought to be extinct in the U.S. With nothing to document their presence, jaguars were not included as a U.S. Endangered Species when the Act was passed in 1972. Then in 1996, two different jaguars were documented on camera in two separate mountain ranges in Arizona, spurring ongoing study. There are several teams and organizations dedicated to learning more about the return of jaguars to the United States. > Read more about jaguars.
