Jaguars, which once roamed much of the southern U.S. but are now endangered—if not extinct—here, were slated to get a new so-called critical habitat to encourage their repatriation.

But the big cats might have to wait south of the border a little bit longer. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which is responsible for establishing habitats for endangered animals, had promised to announce a designated area for jaguars (Panthera onca) by January 2011—after being sued by the nonprofit groups Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and Defenders of Wildlife. In an October letter to the two nonprofits, however, the agency wrote that it would need another year for analysis of the species and habitat before making its decision.

Michael Robinson of the CBD calls it "an unfortunate delay that the jaguar can ill afford." The area proposed by the conservation group, which includes parts of Arizona and New Mexico, is being developed, he notes, rapidly closing off potential jaguar corridors. A "critical habitat" designation, which is what the group is seeking for the big cats, would not halt development, rather it would mean denying any federal-level permits for landscape alteration—say, draining a wetland or filling in a riparian area—that would make the area less advantageous for the cats.

The area the group has in mind, though, is no small plot of land. The CBD is recommending some 21.5 million hectares across two states. And that, says FWS Arizona Ecological Services Office field supervisor Steve Spangle, is "larger than any other critical habitat that I'm aware of."

Robinson contends that the size is not based on how many jaguars might currently be in the area but on how many there could be in the future.

The controversy over the agency's management of the species came to a head last February, when an Arizona Game and Fish Department trap that was meant for black bears and cougars snared and killed "Macho B," the last known U.S. resident jaguar. Despite occasional sighting reports, no jaguars have been formally captured on film.

Others who have worked with jaguar conservation are not convinced that the critical habitat is necessary, pointing to the apparent dearth of jaguars in the U.S. as a sign that the prospective area is not its preferred home. Alan Rabinowitz, president and CEO of Panthera (a nonprofit big cat conservation group), called the plan "nothing less than a slap in the face to good science" in a January op-ed in The New York Times shortly after the FWS first announced its earlier plans to designate an area for the big cats. "The American Southwest is, at best, marginal habitat for the animals," he noted, adding that to really boost the species' chances, efforts should be focused on their current, more established habitats in Latin America, where his group works.

Both those for and against the project note that the outcome of the jaguar habitat could have implications for future interpretation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which currently requires the FWS to establish critical habitat areas for species on the list. A later amendment to the law, however, noted that the agency can weigh potential negative economic impact of habitat designation in deciding whether to create a new habitat area.

The FWS is putting together a Jaguar Recovery Team with experts from the U.S. and Mexico to further study the potential jaguar populations as well as their potential habitat. "We believe it's better to do it right than do it fast," Spangle says.

3 Comments

1. 1. scohn 05:36 PM 11/4/10

   I think that there are a few factors at work here and I am not in a position to address them all. However, there is one or two points that deserve attention.
   
   It seems to be a given that human expansion into the area is to be desired but this needs to be reconsidered.
   
   The S.W. has seen a great deal of rapid growth that may not be sustainable. This region was, no IS, semi-arid. What growth has occured has been at the cost of the regional water table. No matter the amount of contesting, human caused or not, the climate IS changing. If forcing a comfortable human environment was not wise, but possible. That is changing and the sooner we recognize it...

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2. 2. K.Lee 05:40 PM 11/4/10

   Jaguars have been documented in Colorado for at least the past eight consecutive years. They've been regularly observed in the lower third of the state from eastern plains to western border. Whether seasonal visitor or resident hasn't been conclusively established they have been spotted here in all four seasons. Unfortunately corpses have been used as verification on several occasions. DOW and Fish and Game are among sources these statements have been based upon. I have no first hand knowlege but count as reliable reports cited by DOW and F&G.

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3. 3. Wayne Williamson 06:28 PM 11/9/10

   Lets see...21.5 million hectares is 215 billion square meters...if you had really bad solar panels that could produce 100 watts per day per square meter, that would be 21.5 terawatts per day...
   
   I guess my point is that 21.5 million hectares is alot of space...I know, I know...big cats require lots of space...
   
   Florida is a good example of how Panther preservation is not working...even though there are large areas designated as panther habitat and cannot be developed...the few remaining panthers continue to wander outside and get hit by cars, etc...
   
   I understand that people want them to live free but they had better wake up and recognize it won't work in the long run and probably not even the short.
   
   I don't have the answers but it seems some sort of walled off area(vastly smaller..maybe square 1km) and supplied on a regular basis with food(cows/pigs/etc) would be much more economical and enduring...
   
   Just some thoughts....
   
   

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