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| via LA Times on-line |
US Person posted previously on the death of
"Macho B", the last known jaguar inhabiting the United States in 2009. There have been five confirmed sightings of jaguars along the desert border with Mexico, but this latest sighting is the first since Macho B was euthanized. The sighting in Cochise County by a responsible hunting guide was of an adult male in good condition, weighing approximately 200 lbs. The New World's biggest cat was temporarily treed by the hunter's dogs. He was able to photograph and video the jaguar, after which he removed his dogs and himself from the immediate area. He reported the sighting to authorities by telephone. The guide reportedly found the annoyed jaguar's roaring to be "quite unreal"; it is the only American feline that roars. Later Arizona Fish & Game collected hair samples for testing. Biologists will attempt to compare the cat's fur rosettes with others that have been photographed in the past to determine his identity. The rare jaguar is protected under the Endangered Species Act, and once ranged from South America into the southern United States. Biologists believe jaguars spotted in Arizona are occasional visitors from a resident population living in Sonora, Mexico. A 2006 US Fish & Wildlife report says there is regular, intermittent use of borderlands by wide ranging males, but no evidence of females or cubs.
